Shirakami Strikes Back
by Zoram Selrof
Summary: Sequel to The Nightmare. Two months after that creepy night, Hikari Netto and Rock Man start their summer vacations but trouble soon knocks at the door: two foes will team up to control the Darkloids and cause incidents. That isn't all: an even more terrific and deadly enemy lingers around them and they'll have to join forces with new allies to tackle them. Rated M for lemon.
1. Chapter 1: Training

**Shirakami Strikes Back**

**By Zoram Selrof**

**Chapter 1: Training**

17:33 PM (Japan Time), Friday June the 15th, 2005…

"… Hra~h!"

"Hah!"

Hikari Netto was fighting against a young man about his age inside of a gym-like room.

This opponent had blackish hair and blue eyes irises.

Both of them only had sports shorts on and socks as clothing.

The room looked like a gym given the equipment placed close by and how the ground had some plastic pads set on it: both opponents were standing above one.

Netto ducked as he tackled forward but the opponent made two jumps to the left to dodge: Netto quickly used his right foot as support and spun around using the left one which almost made contact with his opponent: the opponent gripped Netto's foot and pulled to have him fall on the ground: Netto quickly stood up again and intercrossed his arms to block a barrage of fists which almost hit him but seemed to be held back: Netto arched his head backwards and moved it forward until he almost made contact with the opponent: the opponent apparently feigned a hit and dizziness so Netto lurched a fist which stopped short of his nose: the opponent purposely fell into the pad.

"Enough!" Someone commanded.

The opponent stood up: he and Netto made the traditional bow to each other before stepping off the pad.

"Excellent. Zao – san. Netto – san. Did you see it, Kori – san? The point is that they don't inflict damage to each other but feign the reactions."

"I see, Enkada Yamato – _sensei_."

A man on his late fifties had begun to speak with another student who had brown hair and brown irises.

The man, Enkada Yamato, had a refined-looking moustache and grayish hair which reached until the base of the neck while his eyes' irises were blue.

He wore brownish pants with a brown leather belt and had socks on like them but no shoes.

His height seemed to be about a meter and eighty tall.

"Well! Both of you are improving." He told the other two.

"Thank you, _sensei_."

"Hum. Five minutes left… Alright. Who wants to try me on?" He asked after checking a black wrist-watch.

"I do! Sensei!" Netto exclaimed.

"Good. Watch on, students, and learn."

"_Hai~_!"

Netto and Enkada stepped into the pad and Enkada began by swinging his right arm across the air: Netto stepped back and arched his torso backwards while focusing on "diving" at the ground to dodge another swing made with the left arm: he rolled and stood up using the right foot to try to spin and hit the teacher with the left foot but he did the same trick and they connected, thus pushing each other away: Netto tried to tackle using his right shoulder but the teacher softly gripped his right shoulder and spun him around before pushing him away: Netto jumped and landed to halt his skidding.

"Not bad, Netto – san. But it's not over yet."

"I know! _Sensei_."

"Let's go!"

"Roger!"

"Hah!"

"Hah!"

Netto tried to ram using the head but he swung leftwards drawing a curve to dodge and Netto quickly turned around to try to deliver a fist barrage but he stopped them with either hand's open palm: he let the recoil push him back and then ducked to jump and make it look like he was going to tackle Netto but shortened his move in purpose: Netto gasped and tried to use the foot next but his teacher smiled and used his own foot to block each attempt.

"Two minutes left."

"Huff! As always… _Sensei_ is a though opponent…"

"Hikari – kun seems to be progressing nicely, though. He's put a lot of energy since he began in March, three months ago." Kori told Zao while grinning.

"Yeah. He's a nice pal. Too bad we go to different schools… He'd be a nice classmate, I think."

_Heh, heh, heh, heh… Your omnipresent malice-filled invisible presence showed up to tease~ our audience~!_

"Huff! Hah!"

"Heh! Hah!"

Netto tried another approach: he stepped back and let the teacher come closer before suddenly trying to hit his torso by turning around and running backwards: he collided with the teacher and the hit pushed him back a bit but he recoiled and pushed Netto away: Netto turned and began a barrage of fists before he could recover so the teacher dodged them in a sloppy manner.

"Cool!" Zao whistled.

"Wow!" Kori was also awed.

_Heh, heh, heh. As expected of Hikari Netto – kun… He knows his stuff but he can't rival with a pro as of yet! Heh, heh, heh. Ah well. I'm also seeing and watching the moves to remember them…_

"… Time's up!"

"… Phew! Today was intense too."

"Heh, heh, heh. Maybe. Alright, students. Let's meet on Monday!"

"_Sayonara, sensei_~!"

The students came out and headed into the changing rooms: they used the cabin showers to cleanse and then dressed up in their usual clothes and checked their lockers: each had a PET charger inside and an RJ-45 Ethernet connecting port installed inside.

"Alright, Hikari – kun! See you next week."

"See ya, Hikari!"

"Ou! Zao! Kori!"

The other two students left while Netto picked his PET II and opened the cover: Rock Man came onscreen.

"Hiya, Netto – kun! Did the class go well?"

"As intense as usual!"

"Glad to know that…"

"Any updates?"

"I met _Buruusu_."

"What did he say?"

"Enzan wants to speak with you tomorrow on the Akihara City Shopping Mall to brief you in on this month's happenings insofar…"

"Is there anything spectacular?"

"Not really… None of the fronts seem to have progressed."

"Hum. Alright. Let's go back. Tomorrow is Bargain Day at Higureya so I'll go there. Today I'll drop by Maha Ichiban's."

"Alright."

Netto came out of the gym building and stopped when he noticed something on his shoe: he sat on a bench and took it out to check the insides: there was a small pebble inside.

"Ah. That was it."

"… Well. Yes… So? What happened to that phenomenon you detected last month, sir? Ah. You will tell me in person. Good. But it's been tackled and no danger can be expected from there… What happened with the underground facility in 123? No trouble… Good…"

"Huh? That voice…?"

Netto glanced at an advertising stand to his right and he spotted Enkada talking over a cell-phone to someone.

_Isn't he talking in English? I'm not sure what they're saying but I didn't think he had such good English…_

"… Has the "artificial light" moved? Huh? Ah! Las Vegas…"

_Las Vegas? What happened there?_

"Other minor incidents in the south… Others in the north… Are we doing something to sabotage their project? Ah! Good. Supplies are delayed and bugs planted along with purposeful damage… They will run out of patience at this rate and make a desperate move… Once we figure out the total number of them we can lure them one by one away and capture or remove them easily… Excellent."

_I got the word "project" and "damage" but… I'm not following. I've set the PET to record. Maybe I can convince Saito – niisan to tell me later. _

"… Good, good. Alright. We'll speak again. Ah! What about the "CG" threat, sir? Weren't we expecting it, sir? Ah! Solved! Good!"

_CG? He sounds relieved, though._

"Excellent. See you around, sir."

Enkada ended the call and walked away while Netto hummed a tune and headed for Maha Ichiban's: he was walking down a street when one empty can of lemonade hit the floor and rolled at his feet.

"My bad. Can you pick it up, runt?" Someone asked.

"Alright."

Netto picked it and turned to hand it to a man.

This man was about a meter and eighty tall: they wore a brownish coat over a purple wool shirt, a cap which covered the ears, and a mask for the cold plus fingerless gloves: they carried a bright brown bag as well.

Two spikes of grayish hair popped out behind the cap as if to indicate they were of advanced age.

He carried a blue custom-made trolley filled with empty cans of all types which looked about to fall.

"By the way. The curry over there is good?" The man asked while signaling the Maha Ichiban's curry shop.

"Huh? Yeah! First-quality! Mister!"

"Good… I'll check it out. Heh, heh, heh."

Netto headed for the store and stepped inside.

"Welcome!" Maha Jarama greeted.

"Yo! Netto." Hinoken greeted from behind the counter too.

"You! Hinoken. Was Jawaii too hot?" He joked.

"Yeah. Guess so." He grinned.

"_Yeah! Too hot_!" Count Elec protested.

"My make-up couldn't stand it." Iroaya Madoi complained.

"Oh? Another customer… Welcome."

"… A three-dimensional world, isn't it?" The can collector suddenly asked as he came in.

"Well… Yes." Maha was surprised.

"What's the specialty?"

"The Maha Special, sir."

"Good. I'll have one."

Netto picked a seat next to the counter while the man sat on another seat nearby: he picked the newspapers and began to read them while everyone worked: the door opened again.

"Welcome…! Ah! Y-you're…!"

"Huh? E~H! NO WAY!"

"T-that's…!"

"What in the…"

"_The devil_!"

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh!"

"_ANIKI_~! _DAMN IT_!"

"Found you! Jack!"

Gauss Magnets (having a gray raincoat and hat over his usual dual-colored clothes) suddenly came in while grinning and holding a red PET II on his right hand.

"It's time to settle the score! I've waited ever since December! And today I'll turn the tide around!" He challenged.

"_This guy_! _Go!_ Plug In! Elec Man, Transmission!"

"Plug In! Magnet Man, Transmission!"

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… It looks amusing." The collector chuckled.

"Whoa."

_I'd never expected Gauss to show up like that here. _Rock Man admitted while looking surprised.

_Who would, Saito – niisan? No – one's seen a hair outta him ever since half a year ago! _

"You again…!" Elec Man growled.

"Hmpf. This time no interlopers will interfere… Mag Missile!"

"Lightning Blast!"

"Heh, heh, heh. It's become interesting." The customer chuckled.

"By the way, Rock Man… While those two settle it… Can you check a recording of someone speaking in English and try to write down a translation? It picked me." Netto requested.

"Alright. If you're intending to improve your English then I don't see why not… This is it, right? Wait a few minutes and I'll work on it. Translation takes a little while." Rock Man apparently found the file.

"_Thank you_, Rock Man."

"Don't mind it, Netto – kun."

"Here! Catch."

"Huh? Whoa!"

The other customer had finished his meal in the meanwhile and tossed Netto a green empty can with a label which wasn't visible right now: Netto instinctively shook it up.

"Make sure to hand it over to Hikari Yuuichirou!"

"Huh? Who are ya, mister?"

"Heh, heh, heh. Have you forgotten my face, Hikari Netto? It'd seem everyone has in this half a year interval…"

"No way…!" Netto gasped.

"That's impossible!" Rock Man uttered.

"What?" The five adults looked over there.

The man lifted his gaze and now that he'd removed the mask for the cold it was clear that he was Dr. Wily.

"D-Dr. Wily – sama!" The four ex "WWW" members quickly formed a row next to him and saluted.

"Wha~t? Wily – sama~? What's Wily – sama doing in this utterly shabby place of all places?" Gauss asked.

"You never know. Gauss – kun."

"Yikes!"

"So that means that…!" Hinoken began.

"Our dream…!" Madoi continued.

"_Yes! The dream_!"

"… It will be realized!" Maha finished.

"The WWW's resurrection…!"

They all lifted a victorious right arm but then noticed that Wily had vanished as if Earth had swallowed him: they looked around, baffled, and Gauss also looked around.

"W-Wily – sama? Where are you?"

They ran off into the street but he and his trolley were nowhere to be seen: Netto quickly stuffed the can into the backpack while they were distracted.

"… Lightning Blast!"

"N-S Tackle!"

"_Oh crap_!"

"Crap! The battle wasn't over yet!"

"_Go_! Elec Man! _Beat 'em_!"

"Ki~h! It's not like I'll let you~!"

_Let's find a chance to give this can to Papa later._

_Yeah. Maybe tomorrow morning after we meet with Enzan…_

"Go, go! Magnet Man!"

"Sure kill! N-S Tackle!"

"Battle Chip, Area Steal, Bamboo Sword! Double Slot In!"

"Wha~t?"

"Hra~h!"

"I-impossible!"

"EAT THIS!"

"Mugro~h!"

BEEP!

"Impossible! Down in one hit?" Gauss gasped.

"Hah! _ I win_! _Aniki_!"

"Ki~h! I'll remember this and…! Huh! Hikari Netto!" He suddenly noticed Netto was there.

"Yikes!"

"… Got an idea… Heh, heh, heh! Farewell!"

He took out a flash-bang grenade from his coat's right pocket and tossed it: the flash forced them to shield their eyes and they heard the guy running off while laughing in his queer manner.

"Hah! _Aniki Go Home! _I've proved I'm stronger! Hah, hah, hah!" Count Elec laughed.

_Heh, heh, heh. It's become interestin'… Let's see if Enzan has noticed the trail of hints I left behind… Things are about to get fun… Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… I'm teasing ya guys, I know. Heh, heh, heh, heh…_


	2. Chapter 2: A name

**Chapter 2: A name**

18:58 PM (Japan Time), Friday June the 15th…

"… Hey, Netto – kun…"

"Yeah? What's up, niisan?"

"That was bad."

"What was?"

"You recorded Yamato – sensei's private conversation!"

"Well… He sounded suspicious…"

"Suspicious? It doesn't strike like that to me."

Netto was taking stuff out of his backpack while at home when Rock Man showed up on the PC's monitor while looking slightly annoyed: Netto argued back and Rock Man frowned.

"What was the chatter about?"

"Rather vague… But maybe it was intended to be like that."

"Did you catch anything odd?" Netto asked next as he sat down on the chair in front of the desk.

"Not really… But I looked up if something happened in Las Vegas… And there was something, yeah. Flash Man attacked a casino's Cyber Vault before being repelled by Thunder Man. Remember the guy?"

"Oh yeah. Back in February, it was during our battle with the guy that we first met a "Dark Chip" and also you gained our first "Soul Unison", the "Roll Soul"… Training with Blues and Search Man had your program resonate with them and you gained their "Soul Unisons" too along with that of Thunder Man… That was cool, yeah." Netto remembered.

"So I think they're keeping an eye out on Laser Man's movements to see what he's up to… And he sounded like they were sabotaging his project hence why nothing odd has happened until now. Maybe they're somehow related to how the "Cybernetic God" guy hasn't shown up."

"See my point?"

"Well. I admit you've got one."

"At what time did Enzan say we'd meet?"

"10 AM."

"Good. Then I'll go see Enzan and then give Papa this can thing: I wonder why Wily gave it to me… But if it's intended for Papa then I'd better not touch it…" Netto muttered as he took it out.

_Heh, heh, heh, heh._

"… Huh? Did you just giggle? Niisan?"

"What? Me? No. Why?" Saito frowned.

"Eh… Nothing. I must've remembered some _anime _series."

"Ah. Alright."

"Well. I'll go to the restroom: check up with Blues to see if he can do a little check on _sensei_. Maybe he's related to the cloaked Navi guy who's been seen around here."

"Sure. Later, Netto – kun."

Rock Man left the PC, travelled through the firewall via the PET, and made his way to IPC's firewall: Blues was there.

"Oh. _Buruusu_. You were expecting me?"

"More or less..." He smiled.

"Are there any teasers from you?" Rock Man smiled too.

"Well…"

"We know about Flash Man and Las Vegas."

"No wonder. Well. I'll say that we've got info regarding the "Cybernetic God" which seems to explain what happened to them. Regal looks surprised that they haven't appeared."

"Hum. The "Darkloids" still use "Dark Chips", though?"

"Yeah. I had a run-in with one named Cold Man: some miniature walking fridge with some arrogance. Some electricity and he made his way back cursing some guy named Star Man for saying he only had to care about Fighter and Elec Types." He grinned.

"But in Net Battles water and ice are the same and they're weak to electricity…" Rock Man frowned.

"I know. But it'd seem the guy didn't know that."

"He lacked imagination, then."

"Sure did."

"Is there anything else?"

"Well. He had a speech attachment… "Hyu~h!" or something similar, if memory serves…"

"… "Hyu~h!"… Sounds like the wind is howling…"

"Yeah. He could shoot out cold wind too."

"Ah! True. I wanted to ask as favor out of you, _Buruusu_. Can you check a person to see if you can find any relation to anything who could be an ally of the cloaked Navi?"

"Sure. Enzan – sama would be glad to find new clues."

"Well then, Enkada Yamato – sensei… Netto – kun's self-defense teacher: he seems to know English and he struck us as being somewhat mysterious when chatting with his interlocutor…"

"Alright. Leave it up to me. See you tomorrow at 10 AM."

"OK! See ya, _Buruusu_."

"Take care, Rock Man. And beware of mosquitoes."

"Heh. Don't worry: none get past my Rock Buster!"

"That's more like you. See you tomorrow…"

20:11 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Oi, _Danna_… Don't I get to do something?"

"… You've had rather decent successes insofar, so… I'll grant you a new mission, Burner Man."

"Fair enough… About boilin' time…"

The "Darkloid" Burner Man was having an audience with the current head of the "Darkloids", Laser Man: he was sitting normally on the throne and Burner Man standing in the platform mid-way across the stairs: he looked annoyed at first but then grinned.

"Your mission is in Atlanta's trash incineration plant… Make it go berserk and cause terror and fear to spread amongst those powerless foolish humans! And take these along."

He formed two "Dark Chips" on the air and Burner Man gripped them with his right hand while grinning.

"And beware of those enigmatic interlopers. Recollect all battle data you can but if they push you into a corner then it's better to pull back than to recklessly charge at them."

"I knew that, _Danna_. Heh, heh, heh!"

Burner Man became data and came out of the room while Laser Man made a sigh-like sound.

"It's been three months since Dr. Regal – sama was captured by the Net Police… As per his emergency orders, I am trying to complete the "Project" but those interlopers are hindering my progress. At this rate "it" will come and the "Barrier" won't be in place to repel them. Foolish humans: you would choose complete annihilation over survival under the rule of us "Nebula"? How foolish… And I still have some tricks up my sleeves… A strategy to cause some terror and confusion… When it's implemented then they will have a very hard time countering to it: let it be proven… The might of "Nebula"! Hah, hah, hah…"

He leant towards the right and laughed under his breath…

06:33 AM (Atlanta Time)…

"… Mwah, hah, hah, hah! No – one stops ME~!"

"Ugra~h!"

"Wruo~h!"

"What rubbish Security Navis! Outta my way! Strike Burner!"

"Grao~h!"

"Hah, hah, hah, hah!"

Burner Man made his way into the plant by burning some security Navis and then reached the firewall: he looked at it and grinned as he drew his burners and began to draw an opening in the form of a door.

"Copycat." Someone's voice rang out.

"HUH?"

A figure suddenly appeared behind him: they wore a grayish cloak and a hood which hid almost all of their body but they appealed as being over a meter and ninety tall.

They carried a saber-like weapon on their right hand the hilt of which was a white vertical thin prism (it didn't have volume) and a pyramidal base from which a triangular greenish energy blade was being emitted and it looked threatening enough.

"You…! The "righteous sword" guy…!"

"_Katsujinken_? Yeah. That's me. _The Greek_."

"_Za Gurikku_? Ya come from Greece?"

"Could be..."

"Oi! That ain't an answer!"

"I'll be kind tonight: run or fight."

"Who's gonna run at the moment of triumph? Burning… JET!"

"Hmpf. Slow… Predictable... Brat-like..."

"Wha~t?"

Burner Man drew his flames and tried to ram the Navi but he was already jumping into the air and hovering there somehow: Burner Man couldn't stop his speed and the ground suddenly exploded: he was sent flying and landed on the ground only for another explosion to ring out: a series of explosions and hits of the floor ensued and Burner Man's body got some big wounds there before it stopped.

"See?"

"Fuck! You set up a mine-field!" He cursed.

"Run or die."

"FUCK! Not even the "Dark Chips" will get me outta this spot…! I'll remember this! You cloaked righteous sword wannabe~!"

Burner Man became data and left: the Navi landed on the ground and formed a holographic screen displaying a map having some yellow crosses there and there.

"Claymore Mines: retrieved."

"Good work, Greek." A man called out through a radio.

"Well. Guess it can be called that." "Greek" shrugged.

"Anyway… Laser Man's frustration will steadily grow: not even he can be infinitely patient. And the "Darkloids" will try to turn on him and slaughter will surely ensue. So they'll kill each other and then we deal with the guys who are left standing. Shade Man will soon come into the picture too: I don't believe he'll let Laser Man occupy that throne for much longer given his short patience and his easiness to anger…"

"Sure. Tell me when I need to come out: I'll be sharpening my blade in the VR simulator in the meanwhile."

"OK! Deal. Come back and let's continue our strategy. Strategy: Impatience. Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…"

10:04 AM (Japan Time), Saturday June the 16th…

"… Yo~! You're alright, Enzan?"

"That's a sure thing, Netto."

"Fire away."

"Good. I'll start with the "Cybernetic God" tale…"

"I'm all ears."

_Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh._

"… Did someone giggle?"

"Huh? Well… Maybe. I wasn't paying attention."

Netto met with Enzan in a café terrace inside of the Shopping Mall: they sat opposite each other and Netto suddenly frowned and looked around: Enzan was surprised.

"But let me treat you to something."

"Orange juice…"

"Orange juice…? Alright. I'll have a _cappuccino_ myself… Waiter! Could you please bring orange juice and a _cappuccino_?"

"Right away…"

"Anyway… Well. Yesterday Burner Man showed up on Atlanta and tried to break into a trash incineration plant but "Greek" showed up, taunted him, and lured him into a mine-field where he got blow after blow until he was forced to pull back. The guy didn't have to even fight."

"Whoa. That's some strategy." Netto whistled.

"Next… A comet was about to reach Earth around May the 19th but it suddenly vanished altogether while on the Far Side of the Moon without any explanation… Save for some kind of weird Time-Space phenomenon remains which were picked by the probes investigating the Moon…"

"Whoa. And that means that…?"

"That somehow that comet thing stumbled into some kind of gateway of Time and Space and got sucked in… That comet was unusually big and bright too… So…"

"So that was the way the "Cybernetic God" would've reached Earth? You mean to say it's something extraterrestrial?" Netto guessed.

"Regal had requested binoculars to check out the night sky a week before that and it'd seem he was very cocky but after that he looks puzzled, confused and not so cocky anymore. I'm sure it's connected. Yuriko was displaying similar symptoms."

"And I don't think they decided to leave because they wanted to." Netto muttered.

"That's what I'd thought too. Unless there was someone who could actually do that, and I mean open a gateway of Time – Space… But I guess this means the problem's dead and there's no point in worrying about them so Regal's "Barrier" ain't needed anymore."

"Hum. I see."

"Your orders..." The waiter brought them.

"Good. Bring me the bill."

"Alright."

"Have we got anything new on "Greek" apart from that?" Rock Man asked of Blues in the meanwhile.

"It'd seem he has two companions and a Boss. But their IDs are still unknown and aren't past the rumor level." Blues replied.

"… Hum. I see… I wonder… Could their mania of not showing their faces have something to do with the total collapse of the "Secret Empire" business…? Like they brought it down and want to try to avoid us being hit by some vengeful guys out of "guilty by association"…"

"Oh. That could be, too. I hadn't thought of that."

"Speaking of not showing faces…" Enzan began.

"The bill…"

"Ah. Alright... Here you have."

Enzan gave the waiter a bank note and he left while Enzan pocketed the ticket into his wallet.

"I've been trying to chase a weird poster who shows up in various boards related to games spanning several ranges… I wouldn't have been picked if it wasn't for their name and that they boasted about "telling those old-fashioned guys of Shade Man and Laser Man this: you're - FIRED! Just like Willard Whyte told Bert Saxby!" … Now: those two names aren't of public knowledge so…" Enzan exposed.

"I see. Maybe they're related to "Greek" and his companions? Maybe one of their companions feels like relieving stress like that." Netto exposed a _scenario_.

"Sure. I'd thought of that too. I wanted to ask of you to try to check out if he shows up in any forum you know of."

"Deal. Ah! What about yesterday's request?"

"I didn't find anything odd at a first glance. I didn't think much about it, truth to be told… I was concentrated on gathering all possible news about "Greek" and other stuff…" Enzan admitted.

"So! What's that guy's nickname?"

"Huh… Well… How was it…? It had a weird rhyme to it… Huh… Sha… ri… gomu…? Eh… No, wrong… I'm mixing up the vowels… Blues… Can't you bring it up for me? That happens when I try to push myself even though IPC's profits are on the rise." Enzan rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Enzan – sama, sir. I'll now look it up… Huh? How weird: I can't seem to remember it either… Some bug got into me? Maybe the other day when I battled Cold Man he pulled something on me? I apologize, Enzan – sama, but I need to run my own internal search engine…" Blues suddenly frowned.

"Jeez. What timing, really."

"I shall offer no apologies, sir."

"Shu… re… gama… No, no! Wrong! Damn it. Too many possibilities: it was written in _katakana_ but…"

"Wouldn't the last third be "sama"?" Netto suggested.

"No, no… She… ra… kima… Shit. Wrong too… I've got the feeling I should remember… I'll end up faster looking it up… Now the browser's slow too: is this someone's idea of a painfully slow teaser?" He groaned as he inputted commands into the PET II.

"Tell me and I'll check it out." Rock Man offered.

"Sure. Check out "pocket monsters master forum"… And in the "General Discussion" board… A topic named "Speculation and discussion about the upcoming games"… Yesterday's post, 23:13 PM, more or less…" Enzan listed as he remembered.

"Hum… Ah! Here it is. Shirakami."

CRASH!

"Netto!"

"Wha?"

"… Alive… the guy was… alive…!"

"Oi! Netto! What happened?"

"The horse… The horse… The… hor… se…!"

Netto suddenly fell into the ground along with the chair and ended up looking at the sky while having his arms extended: his face contracted into fear and he agitated as he muttered something: he suddenly fainted and Enzan gasped.

"Blues! The ambulance! Quick!"

"R-roger, Enzan – sama!"

"What the heck happened?" Rock Man wondered.

12:13 PM (Japan Time)…

"… For the time being… He seems to have suffered an intense mental shock followed by some violent spasm but it wasn't an internal wound or a heart attack… Maybe some trauma which overwhelmed his CNS…"

"… I see."

"We can't do anything else but wait for him to wake up. We'll keep him under surveillance but there's no need for constant watch either: his body condition is perfectly stable."

Yuuichirou and Haruka were speaking with a medic on the hospital while they watched the unconscious Netto resting on a bed with an IV attached to his right arm and having a bandage around his head which contained the EEG sensors: Enzan was also present and he had a guilty look to his face.

"I am sorry, Hikari – hakase…"

"No, Enzan – kun. None of us could know this would happen. Maybe that name meant something else… Maybe it's a name he gave to another traumatic experience…" Yuuichirou replied.

"And it had something to do with some horse…" Rock Man muttered while looking puzzled.

"I don't remember Netto ever riding a horse…" Haruka frowned.

"Maybe he saw some film on TV which involved harming horses when he was younger or maybe he saw a program about a horse running over someone and he's been building up a fear to horses… Maybe "Shirakami" was the name of either the horse or the victim…"

"We're stuck. We'll have to wait for him to wake up and tell us what happened. I'll check what I can about that name." Enzan sighed.

"You can stay here tonight, Rock Man, in case he wakes up. Keep him company, will you?"

"Roger, Papa… But… I've got a bad feeling… And I dunno why…!"


	3. Chapter 3: Unveiling Shirakami

**Chapter 3: Unveiling Shirakami**

23:55 PM (Japan Time), Saturday June the 16th…

_Huh… All of his vitals are stable… Netto – kun… Why has this happened to you? Why?_

Rock Man sat down on a corner of his PET II's space after checking Netto's vitals and leant his back against the wall while wrapping his arms around his knees and hanging his head down: he looked about to cry.

"How poor."

"Wha?"

Rock Man turned around to see a guy standing behind him.

The guy was around his height and age.

He had a brown hair similar to Netto's, although not as messy: his hair style was reminiscent of Saito's, but it lacked the symmetry Saito's hair had and it seemed to have been glued to move forward.

The guy's face was highly reminiscent of that of Saito but his eyes' irises were red instead: his face had a creepy smug smile drawn there too.

He was sporting black jeans with a black leather belt and knee-high boots along with thick grayish socks but he didn't have any shirt on.

He also sported black fingerless gloves on his hands which he had crossed in front of him.

"W-who are you?"

"Shi-ra-ka-mi-sa-ma~!" He grinned.

"What! You're Shirakami? Where'd you come out from?" Rock Man gasped and stood up to face him.

"Chut. Lower your voice…"

"Answer me!"

"From your imagination, Hikari Saito…"

"That's not an answer!"

"Someone named F?"

"F… That guy!" He made a grimace.

"Yeah. Forte. Ultimate Program Net Navi…"

"So that data Netto – kun wanted to remove 2 months ago…" Rock Man seemed to connect the dots.

"A little something I left as red herring…"

"What did you to him two months ago?"

"I swapped your consciousness for his and invited him to meet horse – sama… Heh, heh, heh."

"What "horse-sama"?"

"The triangular wooden horse… And it's waiting to meet you~… In your house's PC…"

"You…! What's this about?"

"I can create a semi-stable _bunshin_ which can work for about 1 hour but I can't get further tan 960 meters from you because I'm still a process being run by your body… Even if you delete this _bunshin_ I'll create a new one and you can't remove me easily: I switch places easily enough. You could have your whole body scanned but I'd mix in with something already scanned and it'd be skipped by the scanner…"

"What do you want? To torment Netto – kun?"

"Not really. I haven't done anything to him ever since April. I've spent my time playing games and having fun in some forum boards."

"Where's Forte at?"

"Dunno. I haven't contacted him ever since he created me. He could be in the Bahamas for all I know or care to know."

"Get out."

"Oho. So the guy came."

"Huh? What guy?"

Saito turned around but Shirakami suddenly gripped his neck from behind using the right arm and they became data to warp elsewhere.

"Wha!"

They reappeared inside of a gigantic and rather unlit room the only illumination of which was some dim fires burning somewhere: they landed atop a tall structure made of some metal: the top of it seemed to be shaped like a shortened Alphabet "T" character.

"Where's this at?" Rock Man demanded once he broke free and pushed Shirakami at.

"I said it: inside of your house's PC…"

"Why did I never detect this?"

"I hid it amongst the program files for Abode Flash Player… You'd never bother to check out that spot." He admitted.

"You want to fight me? Bring it on!" Saito challenged as he drew the Rock Buster.

"Oh, no. To fight, I came not."

"Don't imitate Master Yoda, you!"

"It was worth it, eh? _Episode III_, I mean… You went to see it a month ago, didn't you? I saw it too: Anakin was a sorry guy, yeah." He sneered and sounded amused.

"This is unrelated!" Rock Man shot back.

"I wonder 'bout that…" He took out his tongue and licked his lips as if trying to look scary.

"Playing vampire won't help you. Charge…!" Rock Man replied.

"Heh. Too easy…"

"HUH?"

Shirakami suddenly warped and appeared behind Saito: he closed his right arm around his neck and then snapped his left hand's fingers to form a pair of ropes which tied over and below his elbows: he then crossed his wrists and formed rope there.

"Let go!" Saito growled.

"Heh, heh, heh. Look over there."

"W-what's THAT?"

"Horse – sama~!"

Shirakami suddenly signaled something behind them by turning Saito around and having him look at that.

"By all the…!"

There was, indeed, a triangular wooden horse which had a metallic edge added to its top, restrains for the ankles, and an intimidating 5cm wide black silicon vibrator filled with spots.

"W-what's that monster?" He gasped.

"One of the best S&M plays! Once you ride on it then you can't escape it and it'll make you feel like never before!"

"N-no! Let go of me! I'll do anything! Please!" He begged.

"Heh, heh, heh. Beg. Let the fear rule your body…"

He suddenly gripped his chest emblem and dissolved his whole bodysuit and helmet to leave him butt naked: Saito's cheeks turned red as he spotted how his cock had gotten half-rigid.

"Heh, heh, heh. Your body is more honest than your mouth: he says he wants to feel that over and over again!"

"W-wrong!"

"No use resisting… You'll feel what Netto – kun felt 2 months ago!"

Shirakami licked his right ear from behind and he shuddered: he suddenly snapped his fingers again and a steel bar with two thick supports formed over the horse's structure: it had a pulley with a hook at its end tied to a chain which was obviously intended to lower someone into the thing.

"You can't be serious!"

"I am, Saito. Heh, heh, heh. Let's gear you up just like Netto – kun. You'll become a good _sex slave_ soon enough."

He formed some gear over Saito's skin: it consisted on a thin black leather band around his neck with a small metallic ring, two interconnected bands of adjustable bands which passed over his shoulders, ran down his sides and circled around his ankles, almost scratching his member.

A small circle had been set on the base of his cock with three bands circling around the whole of his sack.

"N-not this gear again…! No! No!" His eyes widened and he seemed to be suffering some kind of PSTD symptoms.

"It's coming back… That March day! I'll copy-paste from the temp files directory the stuff I used on Netto – kun!"

A suitcase formed on the ground so he opened it: he took out two red plastic clothes pegs which he clipped to Saito's nipples after rubbing them with a small ice cube he drew from somewhere and hardened them: Saito gasped twice in a row.

"They ache! They ache!" He yelled.

"Yeah. I made your nipples harden so that they feel different."

"You sadist!"

"Yeah, I know. Be glad the "Secret Empire" is in shambles by now and no longer poses a threat to you guys…" Shirakami grinned.

"D-damn you!"

"Tut, tut. Your manners are rather rusted, Saito. Or is that your true behavior under the Navi speech mask?"

"Shut up! Let go of me!"

"Nope. We've got a long night ahead of us…"

He picked Saito from behind and closed the hook on the ropes over his nipples to lift him by pulling the chain: he suddenly formed cuffs on his ankles which included an iron bar which kept them spread open.

"Now my little ritual will begin… You'll mate with horse – sama and become a part of him… You'll fuse with horse – sama!"

"No…! No…!"

He began to slowly let go of the chain to lower Saito, who swung left and right but was unable to change the vertical trajectory: his eyes widened with fear as he saw how it was coming closer by the second: he began to feel the tip of it rubbing against his entrance and Shirakami stopped for some seconds.

"No! Don't lower me anymore! It'll rip my insides apart!" He pleaded while struggling.

"No, no… It'll only open them wide and then I can stuff my cock inside to fill it up… Heh, heh, heh."

He turned on the big vibrator and Saito gasped as he felt its vibrations slightly rubbing against his ass' entrance: Shirakami began to painfully slowly lower him and Saito gasped as he felt the thing pushing its way inside: Shirakami didn't halt and continued at it until Saito felt the cold metal digging into his skin and the vibrator fully entering: Shirakami closed the ankle restrains.

"A~h! No~! Not again! Someone save me~!" He cried.

"Cry all you want: this environment is wholly locked down."

"You bastard! Fight me!"

"You still have the will to oppose me~? Ain't that cute~?" Shirakami teased with a grin.

"Don't screw me!"

"No. I'll play with you instead. I'm a genius. Yessir."

He took out some more items: one of them was a string of thin bluish beads several centimeters long and millimeters wide with a ring wide enough to fit a finger atop them: Shirakami softly pulled down Saito's cock foreskin and expanded the urethra: Saito gasped and got a face of dread on him again.

"NO! I hate that! No! Anything but that! Rape my ass instead!" He pleaded while trying to sit up.

He instead got stopped half-way-up by the horse's restrains and he slid some millimeters down the vibrator: he gasped and then Shirakami began to slide the thing in: Saito arched backwards while looking like he couldn't bear the sensation.

"It's gonna tear my penis apart! Take it out NOW!"

"Nope. The show's but begun. And when they invent a way to materialize without those bulky "Dimensional Areas" then I'll be able to go and have fun with some cute boys in the surviving clubs. As long as I give 'em a lot of money then… They won't object."

"Shit. When will they invent that?" Saito groaned.

"Heh, heh, heh. Ask Hikari – hakase~! But he's busy enough creating his own "Dimensional Converter", the "new-model PET" Enzan suggested and the "Battle Chip Gate" which he also suggested! And Meijin – sama~ is VERY BUSY with the "Vaccine Chip" development…!" He teased.

"Fuck!"

"You want me to fuck your ass?"

"Just take out this thing from my penis! Anything but that!"

"No, no. This is mandatory: you're my slave, remember?" Shirakami remembered him.

"I'm no – one's slave!"

"Aren't we Net Navis humans' puppets?"

"Don't come up with "Darkloid" boasts! That's because they're living data beings! They can't understand what "friendship" and "companionship" means!" He protested.

"Heh, heh, heh… Let's continue. It's almost 1AM and I want to be over by 8AM when _Buruusu_ will come visit."

Shirakami brought up a small thick string which he tied around the base of his cock in a very tight manner.

"No! Untie that!"

"Call me "goshunin – sama"…" He challenged.

"Like Hell!"

"You've been seeing too many Ameroupe movies, Saito~… You'll end up passing those into me at this rate~…" He giggled.

He suddenly materialized two pairs of pinkish levers set on plastic frames and having two wires with two capsule-shaped objects at the end of each: he strapped them on Saito's hips and placed each pair above and below Saito's nipples with cello-tape before pushing the level to "MAX" and making them vibrate.

"Ah! NO~! These vibrations! They drive me mad! Stop them! Get on with the real deal already~!" He moaned and arched his body.

He involuntarily began to try to escape but only managed to slide further and further down into the vibrator until it was completely inside of him: he lowered his body as if attempting to close it but fell short even though his upper body was now parallel to the main body of the horse.

"Heh, heh, heh. You look so poor, Saito."

Shirakami rummaged into his jeans' pockets and drew an array of eight clothes pegs and began to clip them one after the other on his balls: Saito moaned and sounded like he couldn't take any more.

"N-no more…! My sensors are overloading…!"

"Heh, heh. Guess I should tune them up… Here."

"Ua~h!"

Saito began to arch violently as if the pain had become double: Shirakami sneered and took out from his rear pocket a new vibrator controller shaped like a bell: he placed it on his cock's head and secured it with tape before turning it on too.

"No~! I wanna release~!" He cried.

"Cry! Beg! Moan! That's your nature as a slave: all you can do!"

"YOU BASTARD!" Saito yelled.

"Yell all you want and exhaust your energies!"

He opened his jean's fly and took out his hardened cock before climbing into the horse and stuffing his cock into Saito's insides while licking his right ear's edges: Saito moaned while Shirakami pushed in and out while using his hands to slowly turn the clothes pegs on his nipples.

"No~! No more~!"

"Didn't you say you wanted me to do this? I'm making you a favor, you know, Saito~… That of yesterday was amusing… Too bad Gauss lowered the guard and that Count Elec had secretly added an "Attack+30" Battle Chip to the Bamboo Sword, doubling its power… It'd seem Magnet Man's N-S Tackle works like the "Substitute" move in _Pocket Monsters_… You gotta sacrifice some HP!" He giggled.

"S-shut the trap up! You rascal!" Saito cursed.

"Struggle! The more you struggle the better!"

"No~! Netto – kun! Save me~! Plug Out! Plug Out!"

"Your poor _otouto – chan_ can't hear you: he's deeply unconscious and trying to escape the revival of his nightmares… But that wasn't my work: I didn't intend for this to happen. But I figured out it'd been fun to tease him by bugging _Buruusu_. I couldn't influence on Enzan's memories but I'm lucky he's the guy to forget things."

"You…! Damned…! Lowlife…!"

"Heh, heh, heh. Let's continue. I'm releasing! Hah! Your ass feels nice too, Saito. Your body is perfect too. Well. I might have edited the height a bit plus the face and voice pitch but the overall body shape remained unchanged… One day I'll try out for real how Netto – kun's ass feels like and what size it has." He giggled as he released inside of Saito and let the stuff slide down his cock.

He lowered the horse into a hatch into the ground and when Saito's head was at his waist's height he pulled his hair and forced him to suck in his hardened cock: he began to pull him forward and set a pace.

"I'll train you to make some neat blowjobs. Any customer prefers a blowjob first and then to screw your ass doggy-style or by having you sit down on their HUGE cocks. Sometimes they pair together and stuff two REAL HUGE cocks inside of their insides. I've been watching a lotta videos about that which I hacked outta them."

He released inside of Saito's mouth and pulled at his neck's nut to force him to swallow the white stuff up: he took the cock out and grinned as Saito panted and formed a grimace.

"You're… a pervert!" Saito cursed.

"Sure. But at least I don't peek on girls. Got on interest on 'em: this is the 21st century and both _yaoi_ and _shotacon_ are fashionable."

He then crouched to kiss him and forced him to enter a passionate kiss: he tied a string connecting both clothes pegs and began to pull them: Saito was agonizing by now too and Shirakami merely finished the kiss.

"Heh, heh. Enough chit-chat. A slave doesn't deserve speaking or yelling so the only thing they can do with their mouth apart from neat blowjobs is to drool and prove they're inferior. Here: try on this ball-gag."

Shirakami placed a red spheroid with holes and two leather bands over his mouth and then fused the leather bands behind his head: Saito began to drool.

"Don't you look more powerless this way? They normally blindfold them too but I'll be generous and let you see."

Saito tried to say something but he couldn't stop agonizing and arching his body: he looked like he was starting to grow tired.

"Not yet! It's barely past 1 AM. There's lotta time."

He began to pull the clothes pegs on his balls and to lick the length of his cock as if to further excite him: he grinned and began to slowly turn the vibrator on his cock's head before pressing on it as if wanting to have it to produce further vibrations on the head.

"Heh, heh, heh."

He began to lick and suck the skin around his nipples next while he spun each clothes peg on his balls slowly and then undid the twisting: Saito's eyes displayed complete agony and his drooling increased, staining his cock and lower body.

"How poor, how poor… _Kawaii~…_" He taunted.

Saito suddenly arched his head backwards and used it to deliver a blow to Shirakami's forehead, making him lose the balance on the two steps set to climb into the thing and hit the ground with a groan and a thud: he rubbed the back of his head while Saito panted.

"Well. You've got some guts, don't you? I'll punish you with a very fitting punishment. Heh, heh, heh. That's what you get for trying to rebel against the master, slave."

He formed a string with two rings on each end: he attached one to the ring at the end of his anal beads and the other he placed it on his cock: his cock's spasms began to slowly pull his anal beads out.

"Heh, heh, heh. I'll drop by each evening Netto – kun is unconscious and you'll do me a blowjob: if you do that I won't harm him. Deal?"

Saito formed a grimace but begrudgingly lowered his head.

"Heh, heh, heh. Alright. Off you go!"

He took out the bell, the rope and pulled out the beads: Saito released, stained his body, and lost consciousness…

08:18 AM (Japan Time), Sunday June the 17th…

"… Rock… Man… Rock Man… Rock Man!"

"Huh-unh… Huh… Unh… Huh…"

"Wake up! Rock Man!"

"Huh…? That voice…?"

"Wake up!"

"Bu… _Buruusu_…?"

Rock Man slowly woke up: his sight was blurry and he could barely distinguish Blues crouching to his right and noticed that he was lying face-up on the Cyber World with his bodysuit and helmet on: everything on his body ached there and there but he ignored those.

"You tried to force yourself to stay awake?" Blues guessed.

"Yeah… What about Netto – kun?"

"No change."

"I see…"

"The medics now say he could be entering a coma or floating around in one because the EEG can't display any noticeable brain activity: they can't estimate when he'll wake up…"

_Poor Netto – ku~n… But don't blame me, Saito~… I'll drop by this evening at 10 PM and do me a neat blowjob…_

_Shit. I'd sold my soul to the Devil to make that of yesterday be just a horribly realistic nightmare._

_Who wouldn't? But I'll go play Pocket Monsters Emerald in the meanwhile or some other game. I'll only come back at the evening. _

_How _considerate _of you! _He inwardly shot back with obvious irony to his reply.

_Heh, heh, heh. See ya around, my business partner._

"… Rock Man? Are you alright?"

"Huh! Yeah… I… was reflecting." He improvised.

"Hum. Alright… I'm sorry I can't be of help."

"Don't mind it… Have you located that poster?"

"No. He seems to have erased all log entries." Blues sighed.

"Ah. Well. Maybe Netto – kun meant to say something else which wasn't "horse" to begin with? "Uma ga" could be mistaken by "Un aga…", which could be "Un agareta" or "luck increased"…"

"Hum… Could be, could be…" Blues rubbed his chin.

"Can't I do something to help?" Enzan opened his window.

"Well… Try to check on the "Darkloids"… We don't want them starting to go mad around the city, do we?"

"True. Luckily enough Thunder Man's around too so we can join forces in case they try some ambush which will surely backfire: it'd seem they dunno what "team-work" means too and they always want to get the glory for their own hide while screwing the other guy…"

"No wonder." He shrugged and stood up.

"Alright. Let's go, Blues."

"Yes, Enzan – sama. See you, Rock Man."

"See you, _Buruusu_…"

Blues came out and Rock Man's eyes began to water: he brought both hands to his face and began to sob before letting out a cry of frustration and desperation.

"Netto – kun…! I'm so sorry…! I failed to protect you…! I always fail you: don't I? I'm a _baka_ niisan! I don't deserve your kindness! If I weren't around then you wouldn't have gotten into trouble~…!"

He collapsed into his fours and kept on sobbing…


	4. Chapter 4: Guilt

**Chapter 4: Guilt**

13:15 PM (Japan Time), Wednesday June the 20th…

"… DAMN IT!"

Rock Man was pacing inside of his PET II's space, looking totally depressed and tired plus annoyed: he sat down, burying his face on his palms: he was sobbing as a result of his built-up frustration and his own feeling of powerlessness.

_That jerk keeps on dropping by and forcing me to do him a blowjob for 5 minutes each evening! I know it's not a "full" S&M session but I can't hope but feel like I'm trapped and I'm being forced to do as he says! This is extortion! Damn it!_

"Rock Man?"

"Huh? Ah. _Buruusu_…"

"We've got news."

"Yeah? What news?"

"About Wily's juice can…"

"Whoa! I'd totally forgotten about the thing."

Blues came in and he looked up without bothering to dry his tears: Blues looked slightly sad at seeing his face.

"At first it only seemed to have a smoke hologram of Wily proclaiming "Glory to the WWW!" but Hikari – hakase suspected there was more to it and he decided to scan the label using an electronic microscope: there were some blueprints engraved there."

"Blueprints in the label!" He was surprised.

"Yeah. They were a radical improvement over the "Dimensional Converter" which Hikari – hakase labeled "Dimensional Generator": were it to be completed, the Science Labs itself will be able to "shoot" a "Dimensional Beam" which would…"

"…form a "Dimensional Area" in an indicated spot? That's so cool! Then we'd no longer be dependent on the "Dimensional Converters"! We could generate one anytime anywhere!" He got thrilled.

"Yeah. And what's more: by using a satellite, it should be possible to deflect that beam and make it reach an overseas spot. Work has begun as of yesterday but they don't expect to be ready until one or two weeks from now…"

"I see…"

"You look down."

"Who wouldn't be?" He sighed.

"Sorry."

"Don't mind it. I know I'm a useless whelp who only drags others along and can only scream when hit and do nothing useful alone. Always depending on someone to save my hide… I'm so pitiful, really. I only bring trouble around. Weren't I become a Navi and just died off Netto – kun wouldn't have had to go through so much trouble. He'd been just another grade school student." He lowered his gaze.

"Huh! Rock Man! Snap out of it!"

"I've now realized it: back in September and October you saw me for what I really was but then began to get soft and I got cocky. And one thing led to the other…"

"But that's…"

"Go ahead, deny me. I'm pitiful: I've known it for a long time. Maybe I should just go end it all and thus I'd take a burden off everyone. At this rate I'll only draw more trouble to you guys."

"Rock Man!" Blues protested.

"No use pretending, _Buruusu_. This is reality. Cruel, cold and harsh reality: overwhelming reality…"

"But…!"

"Go back, Blues, and say it aloud: I'm a pitiful guy!" He made a rude dismissing gesture while walking away from Blues.

"Wait, Rock Man!"

"Heh, heh, heh. Let the macho guy be, Blues."

"Huh? Who the hell?"

Shirakami suddenly showed up in a corner and leaning his back against a column while folding his arms and looking smug.

"Shirakami – sama."

"What! You're Shirakami?"

"Yeah. And this is my semi-stable _bunshin_ body."

"What?"

"I'm installed into Saito."

"By Forte?" He growled.

"Yup. But that pity of the guy is his own: I've just come back from challenging Rune City's Gym Leader: Adan. I got the Rain Badge after beating his team: Lovecus, Namazun, Todoggler, Shizariger and, lastly, Kingdra. Levels 41~46…" He shrugged.

"What?"

"And then I'll make my way to Saiyuu City where I'll tackle on the Shitenou and the Champion…"

"_Pocket Monsters Emerald_…" Blues realized.

"If you wanna delete you're welcome to try but you'll just delete my _bunshin_ and I'll return inside of Saito until I form another of these: I'm tied to the guy and I can't get further than 960 meters from him or stay out for more than 58 minutes…"

"What's your goal?" Blues questioned.

"Goal? Dunno. I just wanna play videogames."

"But you bugged my memory files and my PET."

"To build up some teasing…" He grinned.

"This guy…!"

"Go ahead: delete me."

"Che. I won't fall for that."

"Sure. My Saidon knows "Dig" and he's digging a tunnel from Honshu to Hokkaido." He joked.

"Hah, hah. How funny." Blues folded his arms and looked largely dry and unimpressed.

"Aren't ya concerned about what could happen to Saito~?"

"Damn. I'll go but you better not try to do anything to Netto."

"Not like I intend to. I'm a fan of him, ya know." He shrugged.

Blues ran off and followed a trail which led him past the hospital's firewalls and into the main Cyber World: there was an avenue there filled with Navis.

"He can't have gotten further than 1 kilometer or that Shirakami guy wouldn't be able to stay there like that… But in which direction? I'll have to ask."

"Ah! He fell! He fell!"

"Call the Net Police!"

"Where does that pit lead to?"

"Dunno. Never checked it out…"

Blues heard a commotion and ran towards a bridge crossing over a large round and apparently bottomless pit: some Navis had gathered on the edge and were looking down.

"Excuse me! Is the Navi who fell into that thing a Navi colored blue and about 150cm tall, more or less?"

"Huh? Well. Yeah."

"Damn. What's this pit? I don't remember it being here before. Or maybe that's because I'm a newbie around here…"

"They say it's an endless pit."

"And they say it's been here for a lotta years."

"Sometimes a very faint purple glow comes out from the very depths but it's extremely faint: our zoom capabilities can't reach that deep." Another Navi commented.

"Damn in. Jumping like that must be suicide, then… I'll have to get a method to fly down… A chopper or something… I know! Virus Chip, Cloudy! Hah!"

Blues formed a Virus in the form of a cloud with face and having an umbrella built into it to jump down and open the umbrella once he began to fall inside of the pit: he spotted some rusted grooves in the walls which might have channeled energy and how the "light" began to dim to give way to a faint glow in a "outer space" like area: some gigantic circuitry boards hovered around there and there was a purple glow further down floating in the midst of the space.

"Is this… the "Reverse Cyber World"? I'd heard rumors of it: an experimental zero-gravity area in the Cyber World where a lot of residual data is tossed and accumulates to never rise again… A Cyber World garbage dump: no order, just chaos… But why would Rock Man jump here? Maybe he thought he could commit suicide? Damn it. I need to find him soon before something happens to him."

He let go of the Virus and began to "fly" across the area: the purple glow intensified and some energy began to be noticeable as circuitry boards flew away from it as its light grew.

"I feel an incredible pulse of energy…! What's this?"

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…"

"Whose voice is that?"

He gasped and spotted a gigantic cluster of purplish energy which formed a drawing on it which looked like some kind of vague skull with a cross-shaped-diamond on the middle.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…"

"Nugro~h!"

"What!"

A "monster" suddenly emerged from the mass.

This "monster" had a main body the shape of which looked strikingly similar to the Alphabet letter "T" with the base having three pale blue diamond-like formations aiming NE and NW on each side of it: four large metallic chains came out from inside of the vortex and attached to the purplish mass which was the upper body.

The thing's head had an irregular shape as it was made up of reddish mass with white patterns drawn over it: two red eyes missing any iris shone on the face while the mouth area was colored blue: giant teeth filled the open mouth which uttered inhuman roars: a thin large diamond object was set on the forehead, too.

Six needles colored blue and with a small blackish stripe near the base of them emerged from behind the shoulders: they had an eerie vibe to them and looked sharp.

The monster's hands looked more like claws than real hands: they were colored in a reddish tint all the way to the start of the forearms: two cuffs seemingly made of metal with an inner blue band and lacking chains were visible on the monster's wrists.

"…Hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah!" The voice laughed.

"What's going on? What's this?"

"This is not your grave… But you are welcome on it…"

"What?"

The monster then lifted up the right hand and seemed to grip something out of the air: it dived into the energy mass and the whole thing then gained a form reminiscent of a purple-colored Milky Way.

"W-what's that?"

"… We are the Demon Tribe… The Demon Tribe Chief… The Ruler commands us to fill this world with hatred and anger… But the time is not ripe yet and only when the Ruler returns from the Realm of the Dead then the world shall know our might… No matter how many years are needed it will come to happen sooner or later…" The voice proclaimed.

"W-who are you?"

"Heh, heh, heh… Heh, heh, heh…"

"Answer me!"

The monster emerged again and opened the right hand to shoot something towards Blues while it shrunk in size until there was a bright purple flash and the whole thing vanished: the space returned to being quiet and Blues gasped: the "something" collided with him and he noticed that it was Rock Man's inert body: he seemed to have lost consciousness and was floating adrift.

"Rock Man! Let's go back. I hate this place already."

He managed to dive upwards and found that a spiral stair had formed climbing along the edge of the pit: he emerged into the normal Cyber World and spotted Search Man and Thunder Man there along with some Police Navis.

"Blues! What happened?" Search Man asked.

"I'm not sure. Bring Rock Man to the hospital and then I'll undergo debriefing… Thunder Man! Could you please watch over him? He's pretty depressed: he needs someone to cheer him up."

"No wonder. Leave it up to me."

"Thanks."

16:27 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Unh… Huh… Huh… Where… am I?"

"The hospital's Cyber World…"

"Thunder Man…?"

"Yeah. That's me."

Rock Man slowly woke up and sat on the ground while clutching his forehead: Thunder Man was sitting next to him and looked concerned over his status: Rock Man had a sleepy look to him and somewhat absent-minded too.

"Huh? What was I doing?"

"Well…"

"I was depressed and began to walk around… I heard a voice calling out to me… Calling me "chosen one"… It seemed to take over my normal consciousness and lured me away… I jumped from a bridge into a pit and then met a powerful presence… It captured me and studied all of me, every last bit and byte of me, before releasing me… I then shut down and I don't remember anything else…" He slowly recalled.

"Blues saved you."

"Oh. I see. And…"

There were some beeping sounds and Rock Man quickly shook the sleepiness off him: he brought up the vitals and saw a rise on the EEG graphic: he quickly brought up a menu and pressed the "CALL NURSE" button.

"Netto – kun! He's waking up!"

"Whoa!"

A nurse and a medic calmly walked in as Netto began to agitate on his bed: the nurse softly touched his right arm and he stopped moving: the medic lowered the blinders.

"… Hello? Can you hear me? Slowly… Take it slowly…"

Netto slowly opened his eyes and blinked several times to get used to the dim lighting: he had an oxygen mask on as well.

"… Hos… pital…?" He slowly asked.

"Yes. You fainted and have been brought here."

"… What day is today?"

"Well… Wednesday June the 20th…"

"… I see." He calmly replied.

"You were in a coma – like status for reasons rather unknown: it'd seem you suffered a mental trauma which dragged some bad memories along and such…"

"… I get that feeling, yes…"

"Your parents will soon come. Do you want something?"

"Is my…"

He suddenly coughed and breathed in one or two times.

"Is my PET here?" He finished the earlier question.

"Sure. Here you have it."

The medic handed it to Netto and he looked at it with the left hand: Rock Man tried to look comforting and strong.

"Rock Man… Missed you…"

"Netto – kun. I'm glad to see you're alright."

"Yo."

"Thunder Man… You came over?"

"Yeah. Did ya know? Raoul came up with a weird disguise."

"What. Some Bat-Man cosplay…?"

"Well…"

"Hey!"

Raoul's window opened to reveal he'd put on an Afro-like wig, sunglasses shaped like stars, and a blue tunic: he had a grin on his face and his arms folded.

"Masked Thunder's Operator has come! _That's it! Little brother_!" He announced with a grin.

"Hah, hah! Hah, hah! You look funny, Raoul!"

"_What_!" He joked along.

"You're funny!"

"Hmpf! _This boy_!" He played the offended.

"Netto! You're awake!" Yuuichirou came in and sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness!"

"I'm sorry, Papa, Mama."

"No, no. There's nothing to be ashamed of."

"… Papa… Eh… Well… About… Hum… That data of two months ago, I think that… I told you to search the wrong spot and…"

"Well. I'll just run another scan."

"It's pointless. That data can hide in already scanned spots. But let's save the sorry story for later. What matters is that you're alright, Netto – kun, and that you'll soon be back to shape. You ended the school year on June the 12th, anyway." Rock Man quickly switched topics.

"Oh yeah. It's been an intense 5th grade but I got some nice scores in the end: your persistence paid off, niisan." He made a weak smile.

"… Rock Man's right: let's discuss that later." Yuuichirou decided while wiping his glasses clean.

"Yes. Now is not a moment to get depressed."

"Hum, hum."

Netto frowned when he spotted some "patterns" which seemed to have been carved into Yuuichirou's right eye's retina as he held the glasses up as if to make sure they were clean enough: he put them on again and Netto seemed to be thinking on something else.

_That pattern… Haven't I seen it before?_

He shrugged it off and then picked a water glass with the left hand to drink it using a straw: he stopped after each sipping to feel it on his throat and he sounded relieved.

"Ah… Water… I missed it!"

_Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… You awake, goshunin – sama~?_

… _Damn it. You. What did you to do Saito – niisan?_

_He hit my head with his._

_Hah. You got it coming._

_Guess that. I'm about to clear the "Champion Road" and soon I'll check out what stuff the Shitenou of Hoen are made of. Guess air._

_Then go challenge them and leave us alone._

_Sure. I think I'll soon figure out how to split off from Saito~ over here and maybe I'll go and create the Evil Duet which will become the newest gossip 'round there… Heh, heh, heh. See ya~!_

_Damn. No. Don't tell me anything else, niisan. I'll bear with it. We defeated the "WWW" and "Gospel" so we can defeat this guy too. It's nothing out of the ordinary!_

_Alright, Netto – kun. Let's stand united and fight back. Once we take care of this guy the "Darkloids" are next. We'll finally achieve "peace" and end these pointless battles which only bring sadness along them!_

_Sure! Let's go and beat 'em to a pulp! Heh, heh, heh! _

_Let's smash them in one blow! This is about to end!_


	5. Chapter 5: New lord of Darkloids

**Chapter 5: New Lord of Darkloids**

17:23 PM (Japan Time), Friday June the 22nd…

"… Good morning!"

"Hello to Higureya, de masu! Oh! Netto – kun, de masu! It's good to see you around here, de masu!"

Netto stepped into Higureya and Higure greeted him with his classical smile and rubbing his hands.

_Phew! I got discarded yesterday. But I'm not satisfied: niisan told me about what the jerk forced him to undergo… What a jerk! I hope we find a way to kick him outta the body soon or he'll turn both of us into addicts to that sick torture._

_I hope so, too, Netto – kun._

"… Today's the Bargain Day, right?"

"Indeed! De masu! Here you have! De masu!"

Higure picked a case from the shelf and showed him a Super Vulcan Battle Chip.

"The Net Police were here and checked it all, de masu. There was nothing weird in my precious and subtle Battle Chips, de masu!" Higure announced with pride.

"Precious and subtle…?" Netto looked puzzled at his expression.

"Ever since when Battle Chips can be "precious and subtle"…?" Rock Man asked Number Man.

"Don't mind. It's another of Yamitarou's endless boasts." Number Man shrugged.

"Don't call it "boast", Number Man! De masu! It's the hidden truth behind the stage curtain! De masu!" Higure told him.

"Can we discuss it after we've closed this deal?" Number Man suggested, sounding like he was beginning to get annoyed.

"Huh! De masu! Eh… Since the Super Vulcan is 50% off, you can have it for 2500 credits. De masu." Higure put up his broad grin.

"Here you have, Higure – san!"

Netto paid in cash and picked the Battle Chip, which he inserted into his PET II's pouch.

"Have a good day, de masu!" Higure grinned.

"Next time you come beware of his next boast." Number Man whispered to Rock Man.

"Uh… If you say so…" Rock Man didn't seem to see them as something to be careful of.

"Number Man! I knew it! De masu! You're conspiring, de masu! This ends today, de masu!" Higure suddenly told him.

"Why don't you shower yourself with cold water and snap outta it, Yamitarou?" Number Man questioned.

"Who'd bother to do that? De masu?" Higure shot back.

"The ghost in the back store would."

"… Huh! Netto – kun… Let's go home, please…! I feel bad… That talk makes me shudder… Please!" Rock Man suddenly looked terrified.

"Yeah. Let's leave them to their chatter and go train at the Internet City Stadium."

"… HUH? What's that about the back store ghost, de masu? Fight like a man, de masu! Horya~h! De masu~!" Higure shot back.

"How am I supposed to fight if I'm a Net Navi?" Number Man shot back while increasing his voice's volume.

"Use your ESP powers! De masu!"

"I'm not an Esper Type Pokémon!"

"You are! De masu!"

18:04 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Rock Buster!"

"Cannon!"

Rock Man was facing off against a standard Navi in Internet City: the opponent wasn't too powerful, but he was fast and could dodge some of the attacks he and Netto threw at him: Rock Man dodged the shot from the Cannon Battle Chip,

"I'm invincible~!"

"I wonder about that."

"Wha~t?"

"Guts, guts! Go, Rock Man!" Guts Man called out from the public seats while swinging his fists.

"Don't lose~!" Roll cheered.

"Do your best!" Glyde encouraged.

"Go! Desu!" Ice Man smiled.

"Rock Man's strong! Pyu!" Aqua Man giggled.

"What's with those punks?"

"Hey! Don't insult my friends."

"Shaddup! I'm the Number One!"

"Try beating a "Darkloid" and we'll talk about that." Rock Man challenged while looking unimpressed.

"What's that?"

"Jeez. You don't listen to the news?"

"Who needs the news? I know it all! I know you're about to be squished by the invincible great me~!"

"Yeah? Try challenging the winner of the N1 Grand Prix then."

"What's that?"

"You… Really don't know anything?" Rock Man sighed.

"Who needs to know 'bout past things…? They're boring! The present's exciting! Mwah, hah, hah, hah!" The Navi boasted.

_Heh, heh, heh. This guy's funny. _

_Not you again. You've gathered all Pokémon already? Don't you have the Battle Frontier to tackle?_

_Yeah. But I wanted to check it out. _

_Stay away._

_Sure, sure._

"Eat this! Mega Cannon!"

"Battle Chip, Dream Aura! Slot In!"

"What!"

"Heh."

The blast bounced off the Dream Aura and hit the attacker Navi instead: he was propelled towards the wall and impacted there.

"This kid…!"

"Don't look down on me just because I'm young."

"I guess this guy is the show off type who tries to intimidate the opponent to get them nervous, pull one or two Chips, and win. But that won't work on us." Netto smiled.

"Why, you~…!"

"Let's settle it in one blow, Netto – kun!"

"Good! I'll use the Super Vulcan… Where did I put it…? I think that it's still in the backpack… Hang in there for a second, Rock Man!"

"Find it quickly!"

"Super Vulcan… Super Vulcan… Here it is!"

He picked it and made sure that it hadn't caught any dust: he then picked the PET and held the Chip's lower contact slots some centimeters above the entrance of the Battle Chip Slot.

"Here we have the heavy artillery, Rock Man! Battle Chip, Super Vulcan! Slot In!" Netto announced with a smile.

When he inserted the Chip, however, his PET II started to frizzle with purple electricity.

"Wha!"

Netto let go of it, surprised, and it landed on top of the desk as it kept on frizzling and making weird noises.

"What the…!" Netto uttered.

_It can't be!_ He suddenly turned pale at the realization and his eyes widened in fear.

When Rock Man drew the Super Vulcan, some streaks of purple electricity originated from it and began to jump into his chest emblem.

"Uah?"

He felt how a program was beginning to assemble itself (like if one was using a program split in several Win RAR compressed files and was now extracting them to get the full program) within his "Ultimate Program" mass.

"Ack!"

"Huh?"

He collapsed on his knees, feeling how his body stopped responding to his commands.

"Plug Out!" Netto announced.

However, a buzz sounded and an "ERROR" message appeared onscreen while it filled with static.

"No! No! This can't be happening!" Netto gasped in horror.

Saito was trying to stop the rewriting, and he was somehow managing to stop it from reaching the core areas of his body (mainly his Ultimate Program) and to stop it from trying to rewrite his consciousness.

_I won't let "Nebula" win!_

_Heh, heh, heh. "Nebula" won't win but I win._

_Oh no!_

Shirakami's form appeared in front of his eyes and lifted Saito by gripping his neck: he grinned and a purplish copy of Saitos' bodysuit formed over his body along with a helmet: the chest emblem's colors became a shade of blue instead of red.

_Move aside, Saito… Go back to Netto – kun… This body is mine… I don't have a need for ya anymore: you're fired along with Bert Saxby 'cause Whyte's ghost decided so! It's the curse of the 70s! _Shirakami announced with obvious amusement.

Shirakami suddenly disappeared only for his body to overlap Saito's and his whole consciousness was gripped and ripped out of his body.

"Uah!"

He looked at his own "human" form flying away from the now purple and yellow Net Navi body: Shirakami waved good-bye in an obviously sarcastic manner as he flew far away.

_I'll soon come back for Netto – kun!_

_You bastard!_

_Blame good ol' L-A-S-E-R Man! This is his idea of a strategy!_

_Damn it!_

_Stay in Netto – kun's mind for a while, will ya~? 'Cause your backup frames don't have the DNA data on them and they're incompatible~! Heh, heh!_

_You…! No matter what I gotta do I'll get my body back…!_

18:20 PM (Japan Time)…

"…Success! Hah, hah, hah, hah…"

Laser Man laughed as a mass of purple and black "fire" landed in the platform inside of the "castle" and gave way to Shirakami who looked up with a dull and uninterested look.

"Rock Man! You will now become a "Nebula" Admin under my command: the command of Laser Man!"

"Hmpf. Wonder 'bout that… Miniature Death Star – chan…" He shot back with obvious mockery.

"What?"

"You were expecting that crappy personality file, eh? Too bad: I've overwritten it and I'm in charge. I'm not Rock Man. I'm Shirakami and I'm gonna run this show!" He giggled.

"You lowlife…! What does this mean?"

"Ya didn't take into account Forte foresaw this and left me in Rock Man's body to foil your petty plans… He didn't want an automaton with no will and totally dull walking 'round… Heh, heh, heh."

"Che! Then I'll erase you and install the file anew!" Laser Man grumbled aloud.

"No chance, gramps."

"Hmpf!"

Laser Man stood up and warped to appeared behind Shirakami but Shirakami ducked, turned around, and drove a purplish-colored Long Sword into his chest above the emblem: Laser Man gripped his arms and began to pull them: Shirakami yelled.

"Ua~h!"

"I'll delete you and star anew! Cross Laser!"

"Motherfucker!"

The blast hit Shirakami but he managed to warp and appeared behind Laser Man: he suddenly swung his sword around like mad as time seemed to slow down around him and made pieces of the cannons before driving his sword into the neck from behind.

"Hmpf!"

Laser Man's head suddenly rotated 180º to Shirakami's surprise and his "visor" shot a laser at his forehead thus knocking him out his body and into the ground: Laser Man began to jump and stomp over his body while using his fingers to rip the skin.

"Gruah! Grah! T-this motherfucker…! Dark Cannon!"

Shirakami formed a purple-colored Mega Cannon and shot it at close-quarters: the blast pushed them apart and Shirakami somehow got to his feet while cursing and snarling.

"Die."

Laser Man lifted his hands and shot two laser beams which pierced through Shirakami but he suddenly "shattered" and gave way to a myriad of glass shards.

"I copied Beast Man's setup in the Mirror Dome~! Payback time, you motherfucking bastard! CHARGE… SHOT!"

The blast pierced Laser Man's emblem and Shirakami landed atop his head again: he drove the Dark Sword through the forehead: he drew the Dark Cannon again and placed the muzzle on the middle of the head.

"DIE~!"

"MUGRA~H!"

The blast took out the head and the body collapsed into the floor before deleting: Shirakami panted and clutched his damaged chest emblem: he snarled and then formed a "Dark Chip" on his right hand which he turned on while forming a psychotic-like grin and looking eager.

"Uo~h!"

Its power made the wounds regenerate and he smiled in relief as he sloppily walked up the steps and sat on the throne.

"Alright… Who's next?" He challenged.

There was no reply so he grinned and formed a lot of "Dark Chips" which began to fall into the ground at the bottom of the stairs: some figures came out of the shades but remained hidden.

"I'm in charge from today onwards… You'll have as many "Dark Chips" as ya wish… There'll be no orders."

"Hey! That's cool!"

"Yeah! I'll go smash 'em all!"

"Heh, heh! This guy's cool!"

"Wait a min, cha… Don't ya look a LOT like Rock Man?" Burner Man's voice rang out.

"I know. I've taken over his frame. So he won't get in the way. But you should be careful of those enigmatic 3 Net Navis…"

"Whatever."

"Hum. Alright." Flash Man muttered.

"Hruo~h… Hoh, hoh, hoh…" Desert Man chuckled.

They pulled back and Shirakami grinned.

_Heh, heh, heh. I'll try to find Forte and join forces. Then we can come up with some terrific plan of our own before making a move but… I've noticed an increase in security around them… The Net Police won't let that of March repeat so easily~… Whatever. Then I'll tease them with some videos and photos… Heh, heh, heh._

"We "Darkloids" will be victorious! Hoh, hoh!" Desert Man exclaimed.

"Sure." Burner Man shrugged.

"Hmpf… Whatever…"

19:23 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Ah… What a thing to happen!"

Yuuichirou and some other scientists had been carrying out an analysis the Chip: when removed of its coat of camouflage, it was really colored purple with a small orange dome which was empty, but normally held the "Dark Aura" inside.

"I am sorry, Netto… But it looks like this "Dark Chip" was specifically customized to avoid our current detection capabilities. Laser Man must've wanted to complete the March plot Regal had… What a blow. We can't transfer Rock Man to another frame because it's missing vital data which is very hard to recreate…" Yuuichirou told him.

"I know, but… Niisan is inside of my mind now."

"Don't blame yourself, Netto."

"But…"

"But… What?"

"Eh… Well… That of the nightmare…" He trailed off.

"It was a phenomenon caused by that "Shirakami", you mean to say?"

"Well… Yeah… That's what it was … And I think he'll try to kidnap us to bring us to Forte…"

"Damn it."

"If only…!"

"No use crying over spilled milk at this stage. Look: I'm sure those Navis will eventually come to help us out in the open. Not even Forte can tackle so many Navis at the same time."

"I'm going home… I need to sleep…"

"Yes. Go sleep: we'll try to speed up the "Vaccine Chip" development."

_I'm an idiot, alright… I always bring trouble to everyone… _


	6. Chapter 6: Enigmatic happenings

**Chapter 6: Enigmatic happenings**

20:20 PM (Japan Time), Friday June the 22nd…

"… We're home."

"Oh. Netto…"

Netto dragged his feet into his house and was hanging his head down: he still looked depressed.

"… Mama… I'm not hungry, so… Can I go to sleep…?" Netto looked up and asked her.

"… You can, dear… But remember: Saito _is_ safe. This is what matters. Don't be guilty of your actions, dear." Haruka tried to console him.

"… Alright… Good night…"

He climbed up into his bedroom and rummaged into his drawers to pick a set of new pajamas: he then entered the bathroom and had a quick shower but it didn't help him shake off his mood.

_Are you planning on staying like that forever?_ Saito's voice rang out inside of his head.

… _But I'm to blame, niisan! You've lost your freedom! _Netto argued.

_I lost my Navi frame. But think of what could've happened were it not that Shirakami guy was actually aiming for this and that he wanted me out of it. I think I can't complain. _Saito seriously replied.

_Damn. I can't believe that we were fooled in such a childish way!_

_We're young, Netto - kun. We still don't realize that the world can be a cruel place sometimes._ Saito argued.

… _Whatever. My point is: if I had tried to use another Battle Chip… Then none of this would've happened._ Netto kept on arguing.

_But you'd eventually use the Super Vulcan. It was inevitable. It'd happen sooner or later. What's done is done. You can't just go back on time and fix it._ Saito corrected.

Netto sighed in defeat and finished showering: he then dried his body and put on the pajamas.

"Damn."

He cleansed his teeth and then headed into his bedroom where he glanced at the empty PET II.

_It's like the Pharaoh Man Crisis all over again…_

_But the big difference is that I'm with you, Netto - kun. This is what matters now. We're together and nothing can split us. _Saito tried to find a slightly positive aspect to it.

… _What are we gonna do? _Netto suddenly asked.

_Huh? Eh… I could always relegate my consciousness to a second plane so as to not to provoke too much brain activity. I'd be like if I was sleeping, not unlike what I did 3 months ago. _

_Sleeping the whole day…? That won't do. No. I have a better idea. _

_What's it about, then?_ Saito asked.

_You'll be the main personality._ Netto simply told him.

_EH! Then, you mean…!_ Saito was surprised.

_You will be able to control all of my body functions and I will be the one who's gonna be the split personality. Then you can act like you'd always been a human. You can live in the real world for the time being. _

… _Well… Why don't we make shifts? One day I'm in control and you're the split personality and the next day we change again. Isn't it somewhat fairer?_ Saito suggested.

_Yeah. You're right. _

Netto picked the Link PET and managed to set up the alarm clock for the next morning.

_I've been wondering… If Papa could come up with a new system to materialize data then…_

_Yeah? What then?_

_Maybe he can create one which only works inside of the house and you could be here as a separate person. This way you'd be able to shift between the two worlds. _Netto told him.

_I like how that sounds. But mind you that it could take a lot of time for that to come to happen. I had a taste of the real world back in December when the Jawaii Dream Virus incident…_

_Yeah. I know. I'm gonna hit the sack and I'll let you take control tomorrow morning. _Netto yawned.

_Let's use "exchange" instead. "Take control" sounds too blunt and violent to begin with. _Saito suggested.

_Sure._

Netto climbed into the bed and sat there while crossing his arms around his legs and hanging his head down: he stared at the PET and sighed again as he lowered his head again.

_Damn. I can't shake off the feeling of guilt._

_I told you: be glad I'm still here and I haven't been deleted or overwritten by whatever personality file that Laser Man jerk had inserted into the "Dark Chip"… _

_If only I hadn't bought it…!_

_It was inevitable: he surely sold it to Higure – san cheaply so he'd obviously put it out for the Bargain Day offer. We'd bought it sooner or later: it was designed to work like that, Netto – kun._

_Shit! I can't believe I'm this powerless. I hope they complete the "Vaccine Chip" soon and that we can get your Navi body back!_

_I know. Maybe the "Greek" and his companions will take care of the "Darkloids" but Blues, Search Man and Thunder Man are strong enough to stand against them… Sleep, Netto – kun. Tomorrow will be different._

_Alright, Saito – niisan… Man… I'm so unlucky…_

23:13 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Heh, heh, heh. I'm gonna pick some more of that "rare metal" thing 'cause I know _Danna_ wants it to create more "Dark Chips" for us… Heh, heh, heh…"

"So. You're back at it."

"HUH? Who…? You're not the "Greek"?"

"No. I'm his subordinate."

"What! Then fight like a man and…! Hey! You can't be older than Rock Man even."

"Yeah. But you've seen what he can do. Don't judge someone for their height or appearance, Burner Man."

"Whatever. I'll beat ya and get double prize."

Burner Man had been cutting his way across a firewall when a voice called out behind him so he turned and gasped: he then got rather annoyed while his opponent seemed to be calm.

"Well. If you want a fight then come. My name's Blood Shadow. Just that you know…"

Blood Shadow appealed as being close to a meter and sixty tall: his main color of choice was red.

He sported black shades and a flock of messy reddish hair came out from behind the helmet given how it only covered the face and the front of the head: his ear-pads had two purple "V" letters drawn inside of them.

His armor had the purple letters "BS" engraved on the chest area while his legs were colored black and had two red stripes running down the legs' sides in a parallel manner.

His right forearm was covered by a device colored red coupled with a piece of it which was colored transparent red: a small indentation near the wrist had the same "BS" initials engraved there: and, where the hand would be, a large double-barreled shotgun emerged instead.

"Burning… JET!"

"Hmpf."

Blood Shadow simply stepped to the right and Burner Man shot past him but he quickly veered to head for Blood Shadow from behind.

"Fool! Ya aren't covering the back!"

"Says Mr. Smart..." He taunted.

"Wha~t? Ah! Wait, wait! Not another mine-field!" He suddenly stopped mid-way across as if expecting a trap.

"Who knows? Does anyone know?"

"Ya jerk…!" He got a twitch over the right eye.

"Charged shotgun shot!"

"What!"

Blood Shadow suddenly lifted his shotgun to reveal that energy had been loaded into its barrels and shot two blasts of energy at Burner Man which opened wounds on his armor by imploding through collision speed as if it was an armor-piercing shell: Burner Man groaned and stepped back while clutching his chest.

"My mission isn't to delete you. Go back." He announced.

"DON'T SCREW ME~!"

"What. I'm just using my true strength."

"Come! "Dark Chip"!"

Burner Man drew a "Dark Chip" and activated it: the "face" formed behind him and he laughed as he absorbed the power.

"Hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah!"

"Nice special effects: did you hire Industrial Magic & Light?"

"Wha~t? You rascal…!"

"I'm not impressed so easily."

"I'll burn you yet!"

"Burn out your own inner fire." Blood Shadow calmly shot back.

"Burning… JET!"

Burner Man shot forward but Blood Shadow merely lifted the shotgun and aimed for his right knee: he shot both rounds and they blew out the armor over the right knee as well as forming some wounds there: Burner Man lost his balance and rolled across the ground in an uncontrollable manner before he crashed against the firewall.

"Grah! My right knee…!"

"Mission: completed. I am going to pull back." He was ignoring Burner Man and apparently reporting back via a radio-link.

"Good, Blood. Come back and let's upload that data into the VR Simulator for future reference." A man replied.

"You damned human puppet!" Burner Man growled.

"Sure, sure."

Blood Shadow became data and warped out: Burner Man growled and somehow managed to stand by clutching the firewall: he made a grimace as he felt the puncturing pain from the knee.

"Fuck! Gotta pull out…! I'll remember this, you punk!"

He became data and left just as Blues came in with his Long Sword drawn: he gasped in surprise and looked around before checking out the firewall's status.

"Enzan – sama. The intruder pulled back. Given the attempted intrusion method… I can guess it was "Darkloid" Burner Man, sir."

"Netto told me about the guy, yeah… And let's not forget how "Greek" defeated him last week either…"

"I will be returning, sir, once I check on the damage."

09:15 AM (Japan Time), Saturday June the 23rd…

"… Huh? Oh… Netto – kun yielded to me… Wow. So many… sensations, feelings… Wow."

"Netto" opened his eyes in a slow manner and glanced around without moving: his voice's modulation shifted slightly so as to superficially resemble that of Saito.

"Eh… Netto – kun? Can you give me some instructions, please?" He rolled his eyes and called out to him.

_Sure. Heh, heh, heh._

_Your mood changed?_

_It'll be fun to see how ya move around… By the way… I'd thought you would end up doing this so I bought a pair of green contacts… I'll teach you how to use them… This way we can be told apart… _

_Wow. You thought that far ahead? Cool, Netto – kun!_

_Thanks, niisan! Alright. Just sit up: that doesn't need too much thinking because it's an assimilated thing._

_OK._

Saito slowly lifted his arms followed by the torso: he pulled the covers away, turned to the side and rested his feet on the ground: he used his hands to propel upwards and did some cautious steps as if he was checking his balance.

_Whoa. The whole of my perceptions are different…!_

_Of course! What Navis perceive are but an emulation! This is the real stuff, niisan! You felt all of these before, too!_

_Yeah. Guess so. Alright. I'll try to get dressed… Can I pick a different clothes style and alter my hair-style too?_

_Go ahead, aniki._

_That sounds weird. "Niisan" is fine enough._

_Heh, heh, heh! I win this round!_

Saito slowly dressed up: he used the same shorts Netto used and the shirt too but found a blue-colored vest identical to Netto's deep in the cupboard: he tried it on and smiled.

_Well. Since blue is my main color… _

_You can date Blues._

"E~H?" He uttered aloud.

_Heh, heh, heh! That was original: admit it!_

_Jeez! Netto – kun!_

Saito then put on the contacts and the bandana after trying to comb the hair a bit but found it to be almost impossible so he gave up on it and headed downstairs slowly.

"Morning, Mama."

"Ah! Netto. I'm glad to see you energetic… Say. Why did you put on those contacts? And why does your voice sound slightly different?"

"Well… That's because it's me, Mama. Saito."

"What?" She gasped.

"Netto – kun allowed me to "swap" personalities…"

"Oh! Dear! I see… That was very kind of him!"

"Eh… Can I help you prepare the breakfast?"

"It's already prepared, dear. There!"

"W-whoa!"

A whole banquet had been served on the table: it included chicken breast cut into pieces and having sauce plus some adjacent salad leaves: other dishes were salmon with spinach and carrots as sides: curry rice with sauce: potato puree plus two fried eggs and two boiled eggs and all these made up a banquet equivalent to a lunch for 3~4 persons.

"W-whoa! Isn't that way too much?"

"When it comes to Netto…" She giggled.

_Netto – kun… I knew you were the glutton type, but this…_

_Heh, heh, heh! Mama spoils me too much._

_Jeez. I'm surprised you aren't as big as Dekao by now._

_That's 'cause I skate and I like P. E. classes! Mama set a breakfast like this back in February, the day after Beast Man assaulted the Science Labs: I devoured most of it in a rush after changing and ended eating the rest while making my way there to check on you, niisan!_

_Anyway. I'll have what I can but if there are leftovers then Mama will have them or we'll bring them to Papa._

_Heh, heh, heh. Go ahead: try out some Maha – style diet!_

"… Saito? What's wrong?"

"Huh? Ah! Well… I was discussing with Netto – kun."

"Ah! So that's why. Well. Eat up."

"Alright, but… If there are leftovers…"

"Don't worry: I'll have some too."

"Ah! Alright."

Saito ate some of the dished but left the curry untouched: he looked like he couldn't possibly eat anymore.

"O ~w… No offense, Mama, but… For my first breakfast in a lot of years, it was… too much. I couldn't possibly… eat anymore! I'll have to go to the restroom later on…!" He moaned.

"Alright, dear. Warn me when you'll be the "main" and I'll prepare a lighter breakfast for you. Is that alright for you, Saito?" Haruka smiled at him.

"T-thank you, Mama. I'll go... for a walk. Later."

09:09 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Oi~! Netto~!"

"Huh? Ah! Meiru – chan!"

"Morning!"

"Eh… Morning."

"Hum… Netto… About yesterday…?"

"Well… It's not that bad in the end."

"Why?"

"Because I'm here…"

"Huh?"

"I mean… I'm Saito, Meiru – chan."

"Wha?"

"Really?"

Saito came out and walked past Sakurai Meiru's house: she called out to him and ran to meet up with him so Saito stopped and when he said why the incident hadn't been that bad Meiru frowned.

"I've become sort of a split personality… And Netto – kun yielded "control" to me so…" He let out.

"Cool! And how did you change the irises' color?" Meiru whistled in surprise.

"A pair of contacts Netto – kun bought…"

"I see! Well! Come into the playground! Tooru – kun, Yaito – chan and Dekao – kun are there. Let's talk with them and then go walk around the district for a while… Saito – kun!" She invited.

"Oh. Thanks."

"Tee, heh, heh. You look cute, Saito – kun!" Roll teased.

"Eh? Me? Cute… Huh… Well… Guess so…"

"Tee, heh, heh! You blushed!"

"W-well! Isn't that something natural?"

"Who knows?"

"Jeez."

They walked into the playground and met with Ooyama Dekao, Hikawa Tooru and Ayanokouji Yaito, who were discussing something in a hushed tone but then stopped when they walked over to them.

"Oi, Netto! What are you doing to MY Meiru – chan?"

"Huh? But I'm not doing anything…"

"Dekao – kun! Stop saying lies!" Meiru scolded.

"Huh? When did I say a lie?"

"Right now! "MY Meiru – chan"… I don't belong to anyone! Did I ever say I wanted to be your girlfriend? Huh? HUH?" Meiru formed a twitch over her right eye.

"W-well… But a cool guy…"

"Cool? You? Come on!" Yaito snapped at him.

"He won't learn." Hikawa grimly muttered.

"Anyway! I must admit something: I'm Saito. My consciousness was expelled from the body and Netto – kun allowed me to "swap" places with him."

"Guts, guts? What does that mean? Guts?"

"That he is Rock Man." Glyde politely told him.

"Wow! Desu."

"Then let's have a Net Battle!"

"I can't until I get my Navi body back…"

"Guts… What a blow, guts…"

"So. It'd seem you guys have run into some trouble…"

"Huh? Whoa! Dr. Wily!"

"Heh, heh, heh… Wrong! The evil genius scientist! Dr. Wily!"

"Dr. WILY~? HERE~?"

Dr. Wily suddenly walked into the playground while pushing his trolley: he grinned and took off the cap and the mask as if to look dramatic.

"I guess my "Dimensional Generator" will be useful, eh?"

"You know what happened yesterday, right?"

"Yes. I do! Ah… Regal. Guess I did blow it with my experiments… But I was somewhat selfish back then…" He muttered.

"Well. Weren't the "WWW" and "Gospel" selfish too?"

"I know, I know… But I've given up villain lifestyle. For the sake of a friend who believed in me…" He sighed.

"Eh… And that person is deceased?"

"Not yet but… He won't last much longer. I hadn't seen him in a lot of years and it was a shock to see how he'd suddenly aged by some weird genetic disease… Maybe a result of exposition to radiation… He's held on for long but alas the end is close by…"

"Hum. Well. The blueprints seem to be a proof of that…" Saito rubbed his chin.

"By the way, Rock Man… About that self defense teacher…"

"Huh? You know him from somewhere?"

"I've noticed him trying to trail me sometimes… And I once heard him say "Denpa – Henkan" to someone over the phone which he named "Mr. Sponsor"… I'd say he's an intriguing bloke…"

"And here I thought I was over-imaging things…"

"Well. He met with another man… 40s… Black suit… Square jaw: sunglasses… Black hair… Slight Chiba dialect… He seems to be named "On Air"… Today I happened to pass by the gym and I snuck into the first floor to hear… They mentioned "Blood Shadow"…" He grinned.

"What! That's the Navi who fought Burner Man yesterday! So they know something about "Greek"…!" Saito gasped.

"What's going on?" Dekao frowned.

"It's too complicated for cha head to grasp." Yaito grinned.

"Hum. Things are getting complicated…" Hikawa muttered.

"Sounds like we're caught in the midst of some intrigue…"

"Doesn't it? Anyway… I've got something to take care of today so I'll be on my way… Farewell!"

He turned around the trolley suddenly ignited two jets to shoot upwards: Wily sat atop the cans and it then used another jet to shot towards the horizon: everyone's jaws hit the floor.

"F-f-flying trolley~?" They all wondered.

"Guess it was to be expected…?" Saito wondered.

"Dunno…" Hikawa muttered.

"What the heck's going on?"

"Try solving the Math homework first." Yaito challenged.

"Heh. Yes, yes. Try solving it and then we'll talk."

"Guts, guts. Guts Man wants to have a Net Battle! De guts!"

"Desu! Not now."

"Later!" Roll told him.

"Yes, later!" Glyde added.

_So there's some kind of plot…? I've got a bad feeling about this…_


	7. Chapter 7: The mysterious Sigma

**Chapter 7: The mysterious Sigma**

16:46 PM (Japan Time), Saturday June the 23rd…

"… Hum, hum…"

Saito walked around the Densan City Shopping Mall and eyed the stores' exhibits and products.

_Wily's talk is still picking me. _

_No wonder. Yamato – sensei might be someone the boss of those Navis sent to help us gain self-defense skills. _

Saito stepped into a rather empty cafeteria and sat down on a chair next to a table.

"Welcome! What do you wish?" A waiter asked.

"I'd like a bottle of cold mineral water, please." Saito requested.

"Okay!"

The waiter headed behind the counter and picked the bottle and a glass: he deposited them on the table.

"It'll amount to 100 credits."

"Here you have."

Saito took out his wallet and gave him a coin of 100 Credits: the waiter hummed a tone and headed over to the counter while Saito served some water and drank it: he felt refreshed right afterwards so he stretched his arms a bit.

"Phew."

He began to scan the cafeteria in a distracted manner and one customer caught his eye for some reason.

"Huh? That person…"

He was a man on his forties with blond combed hair: his face was clean shaven and he seemed to be calm enough.

He was dressed in a gray trench overcoat, a black sports suit and pants along with brown shoes.

He had sunglasses on, though.

The man's cell phone rang and he picked it up.

"… Lezareno. Mr. Denpa! Did On Air tell you about the old man? Colonel Thunderbolt? He's at HQ; we're monitoring him as you asked… Me? I'm on Densan City Shopping Mall. I needed a spot in which I could take some time off the work… You need information on the enigmatic man's whereabouts? I thought it was obvious that he's at the same place as the old man… He's the type to meet face to face with his employers… We shall meet later. Good-bye." The man chatted in English using a rather monotone tone of voice.

_Some "old man" and now there's an "enigmatic man" meeting with him face-to-face in some "hiring abode" wherever it's supposed to be at. And I dunno who Colonel Thunderbolt is, but it looks like he needs to be monitored…_ Saito made a mental summary.

_Well… Maybe he tried to steal off money or something like they say in the TV? _Netto suggested.

_It's a possibility._

The man, Lezareno, stood up after finishing his _cappuccino_ coffee.

_Should we try following him, niisan?_ Netto suggested.

_It's too risky. And he surely has a car. _Saito immediately argued.

_You recorded it this time?_

_Yeah. Enzan will start complaining about having extra work._

_Hah, hah! Good one! _

Saito departed the cafeteria as well and walked around the first floor: he discovered a spot from where he could oversee the main entrance.

"This spot will do."

He spotted the man, Lezareno, going out through the front entrance and climbing into a green Citroen which seemed to be waiting for him parked in the lane.

_I told you._

_You win._

Saito came out into the street and headed for the pedestrian crossing: he stopped to wait for the light to change and then heard someone clearing their throat behind them.

"Beef!"

"Whoa! Commander Beef! It's been a while!"

"Heh, heh! Akihara City's cool and composed man is back!"

Commander Beef looked like he hadn't changed much (his moustache seemed to have grown a bit) ever since December.

"I've been overseas, with my fellow Shark Man!"

"Ou!" Shark Man exclaimed.

"Oh! I see."

"By the way… About Rock Man…"

"Don't worry, sir. At least they rescued his personality file and he's safe: Papa will soon build him a replacement body too." Saito replied with a sigh of relief.

"Oho! That's good! Yes!"

"Is there any guy I could beat? Some Flame – Elemental guy?" Shark Man asked.

"Burner Man. Flame – Elemental… Loves to move fast and create trails of flames around him…" Saito described.

_And to cut through firewalls…_ Netto added.

"And to cut through firewalls..." Saito said aloud.

"Hum! I see!"

"You can see your ascent, Clark Kent imitator? Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh..."

"Who…?"

"Dr. Wily!"

Wily suddenly showed up behind them while chuckling and Commander Beef drew that silly-looking fish skeleton with the head and tail which he aimed at Wily.

"What are you doing here?"

"Collecting empty cans…"

"HUH?"

"And evaluating you, Commander Beef…"

"Huh!"

"And telling you it's about to rain tuna…"

"Tuna! It's gonna rise in demand again, then?" He gasped.

"Guess so… If my Wily Instinct doesn't fail me… So I'd hurry to your stand and get some tuna or else the competency will get there ahead of you, Commander Beef…" Wily announced.

"Let's go~!"

He ran off at top speed like an express train and Saito blinked several times: Wily then landed his right hand atop his right shoulder and handed him a pair of binoculars.

"Look at the rooftop of the shopping mall."

"Huh? Well… Alright…"

Saito looked and spotted Gauss Magnets pacing in a circle there and looking impatient given how he was checking his PET and seemingly talking with Magnet Man over something.

"Gauss Magnets!"

"The one and only..." Wily chuckled.

"What's he doing there?"

"Waiting…"

"For what…?"

"For a worker…"

"For a worker…? Ah!"

Saito gasped as he saw a man walk over to Wily.

This man was on his thirties: his hair was jet black and largely messy while his eyes' irises were brown: he looked dull and serious.

He was wearing a traditional Japanese set of clothes plus wooden sandals: the main color in his tunic was purple complemented with some tones of red.

There was an emblem on his robe which was a triangle-shaped black-colored _shuriken_ seen from the front and set against a goldenrod background.

"Huh? That emblem… It looks familiar!"

"No wonder. But look on, Rock Man. Heh, heh, heh."

Gauss Magnets took out a bundle of bank notes and then moved his head towards the left: the newcomer seemingly glanced in his direction to then face Gauss: he took a step forward and seemed to be intimidating Gauss because the guy stepped back.

"What's wrong with those two, anyway? Gauss didn't pay him the agreed on money?" Saito wondered.

"Heh, heh, heh… Could be, could be…"

"Dr. Wily! You know something. You knew this would happen."

"I'm a prophet myself: Prophet Wily. Heh, heh, heh."

"No more jokes! What's going on?"

"Well! Look on and maybe you'll get it, Rock Man…"

Saito looked again and gasped since Lezareno had suddenly appeared there and was aiming a gun at Gauss while the other man was folding his arms and making a smug smile.

"Treason…?" He wondered.

Two police officers came there and cuffed Gauss to take him away: Lezareno and the other man talked about something before Lezareno left and the other man dropped something into the ground which made a bright flash.

"Whoa!"

"Hikari Netto?"

"Wha!"

Saito gasped to see that the man was suddenly standing behind him so he turned and lowered the binoculars.

"My name is Dark Miyabi. I'm a worker."

"Eh… And Gauss tried to give you fake bills?"

"What? Ah. So you were looking… Dr. Wily. You seem to be fond of dramatic-looking setups." He told the man.

"Well, Miyabi… What were you expecting from an evil genius scientist to begin with?" A Navi's voice asked.

"That voice…!" Saito gasped.

"Huh? Ah... Hikari Netto… It's been a while… Ever since that February the 25th… Almost 4 months ago… The "Control X"…" The voice chuckled.

"Sha… Shadow Man!"

"The same one… Calling on Shadow Man, Heh, heh, heh."

"That'd be my handiwork." Wily admitted.

"What?"

"Dark Miyabi is now Shadow Man's _new_ Operator."

"New! What happened to the previous? I thought Shadow Man was an Independent Model Net Navi!"

"Hah! The other… I dunno. Not even Regal seemed to know where the man was at. I thought this guy over here would go well: he's the descendant of _Sengoku_ era _ninja_ family: the Miyabi family! So I revived Shadow Man and granted it to him." Wily let out.

"Wow."

"Regarding Gauss Magnets… He mistook me for an assassin and tried to have you assassinated…" Dark Miyabi admitted.

"WHAT?" Saito uttered.

_WHAT!_

"Luckily, that blonde man came out all of a sudden saying he'd been monitoring Gauss Magnets… And called the police on him… Our discussion was about telling Gauss Magnets I'm no assassin…"

"Heh, heh, heh. So… Do I do you guys a favor and deal with some of the "Darkloids" by stirring in-fighting? The three Electrical – Attribute "Darkloids" of Flash Man, Bright Man and Spark Man are fighting each other by now… Heh, heh, heh."

"Three Electrical – Attribute "Darkloids"…! Flash Man, Bright Man and Spark Man…!" Saito was surprised.

Suddenly, though, some "Dimensional Converters" emerged from the mall building and formed a "Dimensional Area": Flash Man appeared on the rooftop.

"Hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah! Flash Man's arrived! Feel the terror and fear, you powerless humans! I'll crush this building and then we'll start to claim this land for us "Darkloids"!" He laughed.

"Damn! Shadow Man can't materialize." Dark Miyabi growled.

"Mwah, hah, hah, hah, hah… The Flash Gordon descendant says he wants to play The Joker? What a cocktail! By Bloody~ Shadowy~!" A heavy voice rang out close by.

"No way!" Flash Man gasped.

"Forgot me~? We met three weeks ago in Mississippi, ya know! Ya were stealing a bank's Cyber Vault!" The voice continued.

"Shit! The Black Demon…!"

"Black Demon…?" Saito wondered.

"Wrong… Name's Sigma! By August!"

A Net Navi suddenly dropped from the sky and used some kind of hover engines to softly land on the rooftop.

This Net Navi was about two meters tall and was colored jet black: a red spheroid could be seen set on his chest area and it seemed to be missing the armor over its mass.

His face had two red eyes and one shone brighter than the other: two horns, one of which was almost erased, were set on both sides of his head and added a "demonic" look to him.

Green data flows moved around his body and he held a massive black and green sword in his right hand which was easily over a meter tall.

Overall, he seemed to be tall and imposing.

"Sigma? Then… The "Greek" uses that codename because he's named after a Greek Alphabet letter? What is he, Alpha?" Saito realized before wondering aloud.

"Spark Palm!"

Flash Man built up energy on his right hand and tried to hit Sigma's spheroid but he met with a dome-shaped barrier in the form of an octahedron and made of pale greenish energy which repelled him so he lost his balance and dropped into the ground: Sigma gripped his head with the left hand and easily lifted him: Flash Man tried to kick him.

"Mwah, hah, hah, hah."

"Let go!"

"Mwah, hah, hah! Hah, hah! Sure. Taste my knuckles firstly! Eat knuckles, by Knuckles!"

Sigma let go of Flash Man's head and then let go of his sword before he began to hit Flash Man with some needles he had on his knuckles: each blow made pieces of armor jump off and greenish data began to get inside of his body: Flash Man groaned and his balance became worse before he fell down from the rooftop into the street leaving a crater there: Sigma jumped and activated some kind of hover engines on his feet soils' to slow down his fall and softly land on the ground.

"By tuna and tundra! How the mighty have fallen!"

"YOU BASTARD! NEON LIGHT! FLASH LIGHT!"

"It tickles! Mwha, hah, hah, hah!"

Both attacks bounced off the shield or didn't have any effect on Sigma: Flash Man groaned and tried to stand up but then saw his armor was losing thickness and degrading: that pale greenish data was eating it up and energy flowing outwards to then flow around Sigma's frame who kept on having that creepy smile on his face.

"Heh! Not so confident anymore~…?"

"Fuck! I'll remember this!"

He dematerialized and Sigma shrugged while picking his sword and tapping it with his hand.

"Good, _aibou_. Let's go back to the turf and tease~ Bloody~ Shadowy~ for while~… Heh, heh, heh!"

He dematerialized as well while the "Dimensional Converters" retreated and the "Dimensional Area" was cancelled: everyone sighed in relief to see no – one had gotten hurt.

"What strength!" Shadow Man uttered.

"Intriguing strategies..." Dark Miyabi smiled.

"Heh, heh, heh… Heh, heh, heh…"

"Calling the sword "aibou" was weird too… I don't think it has consciousness of its own…" Saito looked somewhat surprised and puzzled at the same time.

_It has! Navi's consciousness!_

_You mean the fairy from _The Legend of Zelda: Time's Ocarina_? Navi flew away at the end: the sword never displayed any hints of having any consciousness to it, you know._

_Heh, heh, heh! I'm VERY smart!_

_Sure, sure. Anyway. We should be glad no – one got damaged or killed today: it was a dangerous day. Enzan was right, as always._

"Well! I'm off. Enjoy."

Wily walked away while Dark Miyabi shrugged.

"Guess I'll try to find out just how powerful these guys are… And if I'm not mistaken then that Lezareno man…"

"Yes? He's related to "Mr. Denpa", but in what form?" Saito asked as he looked up to him.

"Huh? Hum. Well. They're in the same organization…" Dark Miyabi admitted.

"So… That means that… The "Mr. Sponsor" is the commander of those Navis?" Saito guessed.

"Could be… It's not like I know all of them: I've heard rumors about them while travelling there and there…"

"Oh. I see."

"Well then. Maybe we'll meet again."

"And then I'll show you my latest gag." Shadow Man chuckled.

"Gag…? As in parody gag…?" Saito asked.

"Heh, heh, heh. It'll tease you: it involves an elephant and a gorilla pulling each other's ears."

"Elephants can't pull ears."

"They can: by sucking air with their noses…"

"Oh. I hadn't thought of that."

_That's cool! I wanna see it!_

_Oh come on. Don't give them credit._

"Be serious." Dark Miyabi complained.

"Sure. Bring out the vodka."

"What? Oh come on. Let's go back."

"To the abode of _sake.._."

"GRFJTX! Farewell!"

He dropped a bomb-like object which produced a flash and he vanished: Saito whistled in surprise.

"Phew. Let's go back."

BEEP – BEEP – BEEP

"Huh? A call…? Ah! Y-you!"

"Hiya~… _Goshunin – sama_~!"

Shirakami suddenly showed up onscreen displaying his face as he was leaning towards the right while sitting on the throne.

"This is but the _prologue_, as Video Man would say. Things are about to get hot and burning hot. Blame Netto – kun! His name's _kanji_ "net"… It means both "heat" and "burning"! Heh, heh!"

"Damn! Cut the call… Whatever! I won't be intimidated, Shirakami! Bring it on: you can't stop the allies of justice!"


	8. Chapter 8: Shedding light into obscurity

**Chapter 8: Shedding light into obscurity**

12:14 PM (Japan Time), Tuesday June the 26th…

"… There you are! Desert Man!"

"CF" Blues confronted Desert Man inside of an abandoned warehouse covered by a "Dimensional Area": surprisingly enough, Desert Man's body had a lot of grave wounds, and he looked more concerned with trying to fix them by absorbing sand than about Blues.

"Uo~h… Guh… Gah… The shadow… of the blood… what… power…!" Desert Man muttered between groans of pain.

"What "shadow of the blood"?"

"Ugra~h!"

"Oi! Answer me!"

"Hruh? Huh! You lowlife…! Gruh!" He turned to face "CF" Blues but he was incapable of moving before feeling pain.

"So! What happened?"

"The shadow… blood…"

"_Kage? Chi?_"

"No, damn it…! I mean _"shadoo_" and "_buraddo_"!"

"Ah! You're mixing it up… Blood Shadow! Blood Shadow was here: well, if he could give Burner Man that beating up then it's no surprise he's beat you to an inch of your life…" He made a smug smile.

"Mwah, hah, hah. Bravo, Ijuuin…"

"You're Sigma? You've snuck into my radio band?"

"Heh! I felt like it… I'm just gonna see how ya tell this guy he's fired 'long with Bert Saxby 'cause Willard Whyte decided that… Right, Bloody~ Shadowy~? You cool guy~?"

"Sigma… "Blood" is enough…" He sighed in the background.

"So your boss' name is Alpha?"

"What? Alpha? No. But he doesn't want us to say it: orders are orders, Ijuuin – kun." He replied.

"So you're the friendly type to allies?"

"Sure. I'm no older than you or Hikari – kun." He admitted.

"He's the onboard cadet!"

"Yes. I know. But that doesn't mean you gotta pick on me: pick on those "Darkloid" recreations, Sigma."

"Great Lion… Uack!"

Desert Man had begun to form the "Great Lion Head" but he got a spike of pain and it collapsed.

"You go back to Shirakami and beg for mercy. Program Advance! Sword, Wide Sword, Long Sword! Slot In! Dream Sword!"

"IMPOSSIBLE~!"

The sword hit him and an explosion ensued: Desert Man fled and the "Dimensional Converters" fled thus dismantling the "Dimensional Area" as well.

"That was for that dirty trap back in February!" Enzan muttered as he picked the PET II when he released his "Cross Fusion" form.

"Dirty sure was." Blood Shadow muttered back.

"Why couldn't you do something back then?"

"We were busy with something else and training. Commander came out in March because Boss felt it was about time we did something to help you guys out…" Blood Shadow admitted.

"By Muramasa – sama! The cook will come up with spicy lettuce."

"Not the weird cook joke again… Sorry. I'm off."

"Hum. Curious guys…"

15:23 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Welcome, Saito."

"Good afternoon, Enzan."

"Take a seat."

"Thanks."

Saito sat down on a chair in front of Enzan, who'd activated the blinders to ensure no-one could look on from the outside.

"Alright. I've managed to get a hold of the organization to which "Lezareno", "Mr. Denpa" and the others belong… And their name as well…"

"Really?" He was eager to know.

"They call themselves… The CCAYC." Enzan announced.

"CCAYC? What does it stand for?" He was intrigued.

"Central Committee Against Youth Crime." Enzan revealed in a rather dull tone.

"Against Youth Crime! Hey! We haven't done anything bad!" Saito gasped and looked nervous.

"Heh, heh, heh. I also thought that at first. It turns out that the name is a cover." Enzan smirked.

"The name is a cover?"

"That's what it looks like. You'd expect them to be worried after teens which do mischief, but it isn't the case." Enzan smiled.

"Huh… What do they want, then?" He frowned.

"Apparently, they were founded in Ameroupe about forty years ago. In the last decade they became international. They seem to work in a stealthy and sneaky manner, dealing with someone they call… The "Common Patterns"." Enzan explained.

"HUH? "Common Patterns"? What's that?"

"From what I got in some boards, they mean a group of conservative people from all over the world which have gathered to try and manipulate mass events: soccer, music concerts, and similar ones. They try to make everyone have the same tastes, the same topics. They seem to want to control society in this way. If they haven't succeeded is because these people have been _fighting_ them." Enzan explained.

"What did you find out about all those codenames?"

"Not much. Nothing, really."

"Oh."

"By the way, Enzan – sama… About that of before, sir…" Blues suddenly called out.

"Oh yeah. I found Desert Man."

"Desert Man! The jerk…!" Saito cursed.

"Sure. It turns Blood Shadow had weakened him and I finished the job: those two chatted to me over the radio. Sigma seems to be a bit of a bully because Blood Shadow is the youngest of their crew… He seems to be around our age…" Enzan explained.

"I see. I told you about Saturday, right?"

"Yeah. Scary enough, but… At least Shadow Man is in our side and we've removed the danger posed by Gauss Magnets… But I'd like to investigate Enkada a bit more… When's the class?"

"At five o'clock." He announced.

"It's not even four o'clock. I'll drop you there and then try to snoop around. There could be some hint or another for all we know, so I could seize them…"

"Could I have a glass of water, Enzan?" Saito asked.

"Sure."

He walked over to one of those fountain machines which were so typical in offices and picked a plastic glass: he filled it and gave it to Saito, who drank it up.

"Ah… Much better. By the way… How is the new-model PET production going like? Papa seems to be focused in the "Dimensional Generator", which is about 90% completed…"

"Oh! The Advanced PET II…? It's not intended to become a mass-success like the PET II… No. It's an experimental improvement which could pave the way for a new-gen-model PET…" He smiled.

"Oho. Teasing me, Enzan?"

"Sure. Well. The Advanced PET II will be fully compatible with "Cross Fusion", have hardware and software improvements, and be immune to "Dark Chips"… It will generate antibodies capable of repelling the "Dark Aura" too…" He exposed.

"Wow! Are you sure you'll be able to implement all those?"

"Sure. It's 80% completed by now."

"WOW!"

"Ah! Have you heard of the "Battle Chip Gate" too? Its development is also progressing at IPC's Research Labs and they told me the prototype is ready. I'll be test subject."

"Oh yeah… That device to transfer Battle Chips to a "Cross Fusion" user as backup and such allow him to continue fighting even after he runs out of the 5 Chips which are pre-loaded…"

"Yes. Well then, I'll try it out and we'll soon implement it. Oh! Meijin told me the "Vaccine Chip", which will be added to the Advanced PET II, is starting to work… But its development is barely at 70%: that will still take a while… We hope to have all these devices ready before August."

"Good. We'll need them to counter the enemy."

"Now relax for a while and then we'll get to the gym…"

16:45 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Alright. You get down here. I'll park and get there through the side-entrance…"

"Roger."

"Have fun, Saito."

"Thanks, _Buruusu_."

Saito stepped down from Enzan's limo and it headed away: he hummed a tune while carrying his sports bag and headed into the gym's changing rooms: he changed into the socks and sports shorts and stuffed the rest in the bag which he set in the locker along with the PET: he then headed into the main room where he found Enkada reading a book while sitting in a chair.

"Ah! Welcome, Netto – san."

"Good afternoon, _sensei_."

"Hikari – kun! Hi there!"

"You alright?"

"Huh? Ah! Kori – kun and Zao – kun… Yes. I'm alright. Thank you." Saito smiled.

"Good! Let's begin today's lessons…"

He closed the book and stepped into the pads to execute a combo of stepping back and suddenly lurching forward with one arm or the other while swinging it towards one side.

"Cool." The students whistled.

_Cooler than the cooler in Enzan's limo~!_

_Netto – kun? You've been TOO quiet these last days. _

_I was coming up with puns._

_Are you really alright?_

_We'll talk it later. Focus on the class._

_Alright. But let's talk it later._

"Good! Now begin to try it out."

"_Hai_, _sensei_!"

The three of them stepped into the pads and began to try the moves out while watching out to make them "soft" so as to not to inflict any real damage into each other: Yamato looked on.

_You're becoming stronger, niisan._

_Huh? That should be you, Netto – kun. This is YOUR body. I already had my Net Navi abilities, you know. I can remember them._

_Ah… Yeah… Guess that… Well. Enzan must be busy trying to find out anything in the offices…_

_You sound worried. And despite what we'd agreed upon on Friday, you won't "swap" with me. _

_That's… Eh… Well… But… I want you to enjoy the real world… Sorry. I don't feel like discussing that right now… I'm off._

_Huh! Wait, Netto – kun! There's… Oh. He's gone into "second plane" so as to not to talk with me… _

"… Oi, Hikari – kun… You alright? You looked like you had your mind elsewhere!" Kori told him.

"Huh? Ah! Sorry."

"Is it about your Navi?"

"Well… Yes. I know: his consciousness is safe in the Science Labs to begin with and they'll soon have his replacement body ready… But I can't shake off the feeling of guilt…"

"Oh." Both muttered.

"Sorry. Continue yourselves… I don't feel like it: I could harm you."

He stepped down from the pad and sat on a nearby bench while sighing and hanging his head down: Enkada sat down next to him and looked at him with a worried look.

"Netto – san…"

"I'm sorry, _sensei_… I can't help but feel that things have become worse because I fell for that trap…"

"It was inevitable, my young man… No use crying over spilled milk: what's done is done." He tried to comfort him.

"I know it hasn't even been a week but nevertheless…"

"Doing some exercise would be good for you, don't you think so? Try practicing on your own for a while…"

"I'll try, sir…"

Saito stood up with a sigh and began to practice: Kori and Zao continued their practicing too but Saito didn't seem to get in a better mood given how his movements became sloppy.

_Damn it. I get it now: Netto – kun thinks that by relegating the body to me and "sleeping" he can get away from the overwhelming feeling of guilt chasing him… Like it chased me a few days ago… That won't do: we need to have a serious talk about that. _

He suddenly backed too much, slipped on the pad's edge, and hit the floor with the back of his skull: he rubbed it and Enkada tended to him along with Kori and Zao.

"I'm sorry, _sensei_… But the feeling of guilt keeps on rising… I shouldn't have one, but…! Damn it! I feel so frustrated and powerless. I can't stand being reduced to just sitting there and watching."

"I see… But don't get that seize all of you, my young man… You must believe there'll be a solution to this…"

"I know that, _sensei_… If only I'd realized it sooner… I'm such an idiot."

_I can't stand it anymore! I want to help somehow! And soon!_

19:39 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Hum. Nice scenery… Guess Sigma's been altering the settings to try to play "spooky" with me but… I don't see the point."

Blood Shadow was standing in a mountain hill made of grayish rock: some stones seemed to sprout out of the ground but they were really inclined in a 45º angle: there were no plants, the sky was grey, and a harsh cold wind blew through the desolate area.

"Lovely."

He peeked around the corner and a laser shot narrowly missed the left side of his face: he then moved to the right and then to the left again: as he'd guessed, the laser shot bounced off the ground at his right side next so he grinned.

"Gotcha, ugly."

He ran out of the cover and approached another rock: he was quickly veering from left to right, and the shots missed him before he jumped over the rock.

"There you are!"

His opponent was a standard mean-looking automated Navi armed with a rifle and a knife: he was covered in thick purple-colored armor which had many cracks around the chest area.

"Eat medicine."

Blood Shadow placed his loaded barrels on the chest armor and discharged them: the brutal explosion made him jump backwards on the air while activating an indented sword on his other arm.

"Just in case..."

His opponent jumped towards him, although his chest armor had been shattered: the opponent had switched to using the knife and he had morphed into a larger sword.

"Crafty! Aren't cha?"

Blood Shadow shot another charged shotgun blast, piercing his chest: the automated Navi fell to the ground on his knees before it landed face-down on the ground and was retrieved.

"Too bad."

BZZZ!

A buzzer rang out: the whole landscape changed into a blue haze surrounding a white light "portal".

"Heh."

Energy could be seen flowing towards it across circuit boards which were spinning around the "space": Blood Shadow floated towards the "portal" and crossed through its boundary: everything became white.

"There."

The next second, he was standing inside of a bare metallic room, many meters in width and height: Blood Shadow sighed, tired, and a holographic screen popped out.

VR TRAINING

LEVEL: 3

CLASS: C

SIMULATION 23 OF 25

TIME: 01: 33: 45

RANK: A

USER: BLOOD SHADOW

HAVE A NICE DAY!

_Rank A, huh. Not bad. At least I can still keep it under two minutes. I should try not to play too much with my opponent: I should lure him into committing a mistake and then finish him off. _

"Bravo, Blood."

"Ah. Boss!"

He spotted a figure hidden in a corner by the shade projected.

This figure seemed to be over a meter and eighty tall: he wore a grayish armor made of several plates joined together of an unknown material and two swords sheaths were attached to his black belt.

His arms and legs were also covered in plating and he had boots and gloves of the same material.

A purple ragged, stained and torn cape hung from the back of the shoulders and reached all the way to the floor.

His voice sounded muffled as if he spoke through a gas mask.

"Good job, Blood. You're doing very well. You have two simulations of this mode remaining. If you can complete all of them, you'll ascend to level Four." The man congratulated.

"Thank you, Boss. I know I have to keep my skills sharp by the time I run into another "Darkloid"…"

"You should know you're not that far away from me. I currently can manage up to Level Five, B Class, 12 of 15. And my average rank oscillates between "B" and "A" Don't worry too much about it if you get a "B" one day." The unidentified man counseled.

"Thanks for the advice, Boss. If you'll excuse me, I'll go and rest in my capsule."

"Go and rest: I'm sure that doppelganger is up to something. I'll eventually find out the exact nature of it, anyway."

"Roger, Boss. Good night." Blood Shadow smiled back.

"Good night, Blood. "

Blood Shadow headed outside of the room and into a wholly metallic corridor which had a curved shape.

"Hum."

The corridor was illuminated by fluorescent lights set on the ceiling.

Several labeled armored doors could be seen placed at both sides of it and some large arches were set every a hundred meters or so.

"Tan, tan, tan…" He hummed a tune.

He walked it down and soon spotted a door labeled "CAPSULES ROOM": he opened the door with his left hand and stepped inside.

"There they are. Missed me?"

The room had an overall cubic shape and was made of metal.

Three metallic cylinders colored brown were set on the ground parallel to each other: they had some wires coming out of their south ends and linked to some kind of control panels placed in front of each one.

Their curved lids were open, revealing a cushioned interior tall and wide enough to accommodate a person.

The rightmost capsule, though, was way larger than the other two: it was obviously reserved for someone tall, and that someone surely was his partner Sigma.

"Middle's mine, right's Sigma, and the left one is the Commander."

Blood Shadow climbed into the middle capsule and accommodated his body like he was climbing into a bed: he used his left hand to grab a handle and close the lid from the inside, thus sealing it up.

"Good."

Some wires came out of compartments placed at his feet, left, right and above his head to attach to his body: the control panel in front of the capsule lighted and a set of diagrams was displayed over its LCD screen.

"Status: all green. Good night, sir." An auto-voice said.

The wires unplugged on their own and retreated into the square holes they'd come out from.

"Alright, guys… Tune in tomorrow for more! Heh, heh, heh, heh!"


	9. Chapter 9: The third one

**Chapter 9: The third one**

10:22 AM (Japan Time), Wednesday June the 27th…

"… Heh… Heh, heh…"

An unidentified figure was silently walking through an unfurnished concrete-built corridor.

The corridor was dimly lit by fluorescent tubes in the ceiling and one of them sparked and flickered: it was in need of a replacement.

"There."

The man spotted a door labeled "Garage" at the end of the corridor: their eyes suddenly shone with lust and they were about to open the door when a voice with a slight Sharo accent boomed out of nowhere and echoed around the corridor: the figure felt a shiver go down their spine and froze on their tracks.

"_Where_ might _you_ be going _to_? _Comrade_?"

The unidentified man turned around, bewildered, as a man walked up to him.

This man looked as being on his late forties: his hair was grey and parts of it fell down in the front of the face and he seemed to be missing his left eye as well.

He was dressed in a grey army uniform, although the area around the sleeves and neck was colored in a reddish patch: he had a distinction on the right side of the uniform just underneath the right shoulder.

He was also holding a strange artifact on his right hand which seemed to be some kind of customized dagger: it had a central handle shaped like a cylinder: two curved daggers sprouted from each end, with each facing an opposite direction: some strange patterns were carved across each dagger's surface.

"Colonel Thunderbolt." The newcomer announced.

Colonel Thunderbolt was a man also on his late forties.

He had blond hair although his face was covered in hardened veins: his eyes' irises were blue in color

He was dressed in an olive green military uniform and He had long brown leather gloves on, too, plus boots.

He stepped back, surprised.

"Huh! Good morning, Colonel Talos… I… what a beautiful day…" He uttered, obviously improvising.

"Comrade. You should be ashamed of yourself for being so _reckless_. If you'd done what I know you were planning on doing, you could end up _expulsed _or in _prison_!" Colonel Talos announced.

"Huh! In prison…? Really? I didn't think that…"

"Yes, Comrade. Please think about it. We are of the same origin, after all. I know you miss the times in the GRU where you had your weird "hobbies" which were tolerated to certain level but... After the collapse of the system this organization was the only one who would appreciate our skills… We've become respected executives… And now you intend to harm their pride and reputation?" His voice sounded really creepy.

"Harm the pride and reputation? But this is unrelated!"

"Comrade! It's not unrelated. You're a high executive and you are the model for the agents. Having you be involved in some scandal would harm us a LOT." The man made a cut on his lip with one of the daggers as if to prove they were real and not a prop.

"B-but, well… I thought that… Because of the club, and…"

"You miss the whole point. That's an adult club and the persons working there have been checked to be there of their own will. But what you were aiming to do is something illegal and highly punishable."

"Well… It could be, Colonel, but… Eh… The thrill and…"

"No good, no good! Besides! It'd be pointless to try to sneak out."

"It'd be? Why?"

"See by yourself, Comrade." Talos made an evil grin and sounded challenging.

Colonel Thunderbolt opened the steel door and exited into a wide underground garage: several cars filled the sides of the area, yet there were some empty spots.

"HUH?"

He walked towards the north and gasped: there was an empty place where his car should've been at.

"Devil!"

"Get the point, _Comrade_? Now! Let's get to the point. You were about to commit _rape_. And that's a crime." Colonel Talos turned icy and hostile as he stepped forward.

"Huh! W-well: it depends on…!" He tried to loophole the deal.

"No loopholes are allowed! Do you want to bring upon the anger of society at us? To ruin all of the hard work we've made during these 40 years' time? Do you? DO YOU? HUH?" His foreign accent became more accented.

"N-no! I'm not a saboteur or a paid double agent!"

"Then prove it, _Comrade_! Where's your pride? Where's your honor as a former Colonel? Where is it? Roaming around Siberia, maybe? Or accumulating dust, frost and snow in the old military complex 113km NNE or Moscow? HUH?" Colonel Talos growled.

"Alright, Colonel…! No need to get hysterical, either… I'll go back to my post… And I guess I shouldn't have believed those mails…"

"Of course not! Rape is rape and no "club" will change that! Minors aren't to be abused of! Children are the future and no bunch of psychopaths is going to rob society of our future! Now: GET BACK TO WORK!"

Colonel Thunderbolt ran away while Colonel Talos growled.

"Damn underground propaganda! To Hell with them! By the Motherland!"

11:03 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Hum…"

Saito had returned to the cafeteria he'd visited on Saturday and picked the same spot.

"Aha-hah."

He immediately spotted a suspicious-looking individual.

It was a man on his twenties wearing a black raincoat and was sporting a black wool cap along with sunglasses.

He was currently looking at the screen of a MP3 device.

_I'd say about a meter and eighty…_

The man's cell phone rang, so he grumbled something and picked it up, approaching it to his right ear.

"Ah! Colonel Talos…" He greeted.

_That's Yamato – sensei's voice! I gotta record this! _Saito suddenly inwardly gasped.

He looked around and moved to a table half-hidden in a corner by a large plant: Saito quickly sat down there and took out his PET II to record the conversation.

"Huh? Ah! Hum, hum… Che. Damn propaganda… I really don't mind his "escapades" as long as they're to visit "that facility" but falling for that propaganda and almost committing a crime… Damn it."

_What propaganda? _

"By the way! Setting that topic asides... We'll talk later… I got told by Mr. Sponsor about a _certain someone_ who has many eyes and ears around the Cyber World. Their name…? … Well… Let's nickname them "Chaos"! Is that good enough? Then… Good-bye, Colonel…"

_That whole talk reeked. Let's go talk it with Enzan. And I dunno why Netto – kun is being so quiet as of late… I need to discuss it further with him…_

11:44 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Hum."

Enzan was typing something into the PC while looking at some charts and graphics.

_The two projects are advancing in a smooth way. I hope we can get them ready soon enough. Phew. I know I told Saito their status yesterday but I feel nervous: it'd be better if we could have them ready before August or else things will be hard._

There was a familiar discrete knocking on the door, so he looked up and smiled.

"Come in."

Saito came in, closing the door: he looked determined.

"Has something happened? By the way: you look better than yesterdays' afternoon."

"Well. I found out Denpa's appearance." He let out the news.

"Really?" He excitedly asked.

"Here you have."

Saito showed him a photo he'd made with the PET and Enzan lifted his eyebrows in surprise.

"It's not much. But it's a start. What I wonder is… How could he be on his twenties this way and on his sixties as Yamato – sensei? Even if it was a disguise, anyone could see the end of the mask since he always takes his top off for the classes… This needs more investigating. How did you know it was him?"

"The voice tone was unmistakable. And the conversation as well said it all." Saito summarized.

"Did you record it?" Enzan asked.

"But of course."

He transferred the file to Enzan's PET II and they both listened to it while Enzan scribbled down important words.

"Hmmm… I'm suspicious about this informant they nickname "Chaos" for some reason or another. Who could it be?" He frowned.

"Dunno."

"Hmmm… I'll have to run some investigations… And if we deduce that they were talking about "Colonel Thunderbolt"… Maybe Laika can find out something too." Enzan muttered.

"By the way, Enzan… Is it true that the "Secret Empire" thing is totally collapsed and we don't need to worry about them anymore?"

"It's true. Raoul told me. And that Dark Miyabi guy sent me a mail too to confirm it: apparently Wily wanted him to."

"Ah. Good. Say… Tricked by propaganda into committing a crime… And escapades to a "facility"… Could it be?" He suddenly gasped.

"What?"

"That Colonel Thunderbolt guy is a sadist too!" He realized.

"Yikes."

"But… I see! Maybe he goes to a club which is only adults and there they're doing it because they want to… And the propaganda meant that he almost went a raped a minor because it made it look like it was something "fun" or some silly motto!" He growled.

"Huh! Then we can be glad they stopped him in time."

"Sure. And I wouldn't be surprised if the guy was coming for me to begin with: maybe he's heard of me." Saito fumed.

"W-well… I'll try to run some investigations. Blues. Try to chase any "Darkloids" and find out what Shirakami's up to…"

"Roger, Enzan – sama."

"I'll stay here. I want to cool off for a while."

13:03 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Hyu~h! I wanna fight someone. Cold Man – sama can't stand standing there and doing nothing! I'll prove to that Bright Man jerk I'm clearly stronger than him! Hyu~h!""

A "Darkloid" who was named Cold Man was walking down the side-streets of the "New" Internet City.

"Hyu~h!"

He was rather short in height: he could barely be above the one meter thirty mark in height: as if his name was a hint, he was largely designed as a walking fridge.

His main body color was cyan blue: his head was shaped like the overhead freezer compartment of the fridge given how it had a small rectangle used to open it and all: a narrow black rectangular slit beneath it contained his eyes but his nose and mouth were covered by a wrapped scarf of two shades of purple: his emblem was the Alphabet "C" letter colored white.

The main body also had two fridge doors on it with black metallic handles to pull them open, even.

His shoulders were colored blue yet they had an orange circle atop them which seemed to be there to pull in a different color: two short black PCV tubes came out from the sides and connected to his forearms: his arms were black too and had two smaller sections.

These smaller sections included some vertical thin cylinders separated by a round divisor just below the shoulder and mid-length across: his forearms were colored cyan too and had a protruding piece with some stripes running down their length: the forearms' end had a orange band there and five fingers covered in blue skin came out.

The legs popped out from inside of the body, which had a gap on the lower end revealing that his legs must begin inside of it: their "skin" was of a navy blue color and covered the whole of the feet: a cyan cloth was placed atop the ankles and an orange band secured the feet: the soil was cyan and very thin in thickness.

"Hyu~h? Ho, ho, ho! I found someone!"

That "someone" happened to be Navi over one meter and eighty tall: he had a red vest over his mainly black body and red armor over his forearms and boots: two golden circlets were set around his forearms and on his boots as well.

A blue jewel shaped like an inverted triangle was set on the forehead of his helmet which was emitting a cross-shaped flash.

His eyes were closed while long blond hair came out from behind him and reached all the way to the floor.

He was currently leaning his back against a wall and folding his arms as if he cared for nothing which was going on.

_This guy's funny!_

"Hyu~h! Hey there! You're _cute_! Did you know it?"

He waved his arms, but the Navi did not stir: they most likely played deaf.

"Hyu~h! Hey there! You're a _pervert_! Did you know it?"

He jumped up and down, but, again, the Navi did not react: it was very possible that he was still playing deaf so as to make Cold Man tire and make him leave.

_Hyu~h! This guy won't laugh at Cold Man – sama's face! I'm so gonna show this guy who Cold Man – sama is! _

"Listen to me, _yaoi_!" He provoked.

The Navi's eyes opened: their irises were crimson red and now displayed a slight level of calm but it was like the calm before the storm.

_W-whoa! _

A grimace formed on the Navi's face as he used his right hand to grab the strange item attached to his left hip which looked like a vertical hexagon colored white: he removed a rectangular hilt and pyramidal base to then form a green energy pyramidal saber.

"Hyu~h! My bad! Later!"

Cold Man tried to run away, but the Navi dashed at a mad speed and stopped in front of him: he was holding the saber in one hand and a gun which looked like a real world gun with a big muzzle, square and light frame, and a trigger on the other: his expression was ruthless.

_Damn it! I overdid it!_

Cold Man tried yet again to run, but he was cornered: the Navi grinned and looked _psychotic_.

"Time… for the… _slaughter_…"

"… Huff, huff…"

Blues was racing towards the scene while having drawn the Long Sword on his right forearm.

_A witness saw Cold Man come this way! And that guy's a dwarf! It shouldn't be very hard to handle. If I use Electrical - Attribute Battle Chips then he'll plead for mercy and talk like last time around! _He grinned.

"HRAH! HYA~H! HAH!"

"HYUGRO~H! MUGRO~H! UO~RGH!"

_Damn it! That Cold Man's voice: he's gotten into a fight with someone but that doesn't sound like anyone I know. They sound pretty furious! I don't like the sounds of that!_

He dashed forward, but an explosion echoed around the zone along with the unmistakable sound of someone logging out.

"Hell!" He cursed

He reached the scene: the street was a complete wreck and the floor was full of cuts and scratches, along with holes: data remains were scattered around the area too.

_Uh-oh. I'm now glad I'm late. I wouldn't have liked to meet the one who did all of this destruction… Could this have been that "Greek" guy? Yikes!_

13:17 PM (Japan Time)…

"… GRJTXF!"

"What happened, Greek?"

"No need for silly nicknames, cloaks or whatever!"

"Whoa. Cool it down."

"Tell that to the imbecile I slaughtered."

"Whom do you mean?"

"Cold Man!"

"Cold Man! But why did you slaughter the guy? We're not here to delete them: we just weaken them and have those pull back to create an attrition warfare condition to…"

"I KNOW THE REST, _DANNA_!"

"Whoa! Cool it, I say… Omega!"

"Fuck. I wanna go and slice things."

"That – won't – do!"

The Navi, Omega, made it back to the corridor Blood Shadow had been at the previous day: his eyes' irises had become blue by now and he looked pretty annoyed nevertheless: the "Boss" walked up to him and stopped under an arch thus remaining hidden by the shade.

"Oh yeah? Then what do I do? Bring out Donkey Kong's hammer and send them blasting off like the Rocket Gang? HUH?"

"Ah… Well, but… Hitting them with the Donkey Kong hammer isn't "blasting off" because that's produced by an explosion and…"

"Yeah! I know! Fuck!"

"Oh, Omega… What did the guy do?"

"He called me _yaoi_! Speak for yourself! Shirakami is the _shotacon_ guy!"

"Well… Yeah… But…"

"And I don't have a cock either! We're androids capable of uploading our programs into the Cyber World, but we don't have a cock!" Omega snarled next.

"I know that… I built you myself!"

"And that walking fridge thing didn't!"

"I know: he surely heard the word somewhere and thought it was slang to say "punk"…" The "Boss" replied.

"I WANNA SLAUGTHER THEIR GHOST!"

"Yeah? How?"

"GRFTJX! Grah! I need the capsule: some hours to rest! Leave the field to Sigma and Blood. Speaking of which! SIGMA!"

"Y-yes, Commander Omega?" Sigma came out of a room the door of which read "GAMES ROOM 07" and seemed to be nervous.

"Will you STOP bullying Blood Shadow?"

"Huh! W-well, sir… That's…"

"WILL YOU?"

"Y-yes, sir! I apologize, sir! I did something shameful, sir!"

"Come on, Omega. Don't go and vent off your bad mood on Sigma and the others, will you? You said you're a righteous sword. And you can come up with good plans: remember the trick you pulled on Burner Man not even two weeks ago." The "Boss" reminded him.

"Huff! Alright. I'm off to planning strategies to tackle the Battle Frontier in _Emerald_… Maybe I should transfer some of the _Colosseum_ Pokémon to form a better team… Later!"

"Phew. Omega… You're a good guy and all but… Watch that behavior…"

"Yikes. Commander Omega can be scary from time to time…!"


	10. Chapter 10: Taunting

**Chapter 10: Taunting**

09:39 AM (Japan Time), Thursday June the 28th…

"… Man. This place still gives me the creeps."

Blues was investigating around the area where Cold Man had been deleted.

"Huh?"

He suddenly saw something and hid in the shade: it was a figure which sported a brown and ragged cloak which covered all of its body.

The figure was crouching and examining the ground before they suddenly stood up and spoke aloud: their voice was distorted by a device.

"This is Chaos. The damage in the area is greater than initially thought. It's going to take a while to patch it up. You should tell "Greek" to be more careful next time around! Shirakami is plotting something with a server in an Ameroupe army facility, but he can't access it from the Cyber World, it'd seem. Over." The figure reported to someone.

"Blues. Try to apprehend him." Enzan whispered.

"Roger."

"Blinder Battle Chip, Slot In."

Blues ran towards the figure and used the Blinder Battle Chip: he quickly grabbed the cloak and pulled it off: but, when the light dimmed, the cloak fell to the ground: there was nobody.

"Che. Enzan – sama. He ran away." He reported.

"Blast. We were so close to finding out who "Chaos" is… Let's go report. Maybe we'll have better luck next time around."

"Let us hope so, Enzan – sama."

"Let's scram."

_Not yet. You can't know yet. Someone else will know first…_

09:57 AM (Japan Time)…

"… So! We still have no information as to who this "Chaos" person is or who is he reporting to…"

Commissioner Kifune was sitting behind his usual desk having his hands below his chin: Superintendent Manabe was standing at his right while Enzan was standing in front of him.

"No, sir. We were very close to ensnaring him or her, but they fled during the flash." Enzan declared.

"You did a good job, though, Enzan – kun. Have you found anything else about that group, the "Committee"?" He asked.

"Not much. I only found speculation and rumors. It seems that the one backing those people goes by the alias of "Mr. Sponsor."… He's rumored to have many businesses." He read a file he'd brought.

"Did you search the flat of that man?"

"There was nothing at all. It seems that he's really a pro. There were no fingerprints anywhere and everything was clean. The only phone numbers were those of the police, the firefighters and the emergency ambulance. The call log from his wireless was clean. No answering machine, either. There were no papers, no cards and nothing."

"Did you find anything about his origins?"

"I found nothing."

"You did what you could. That's good. You're dismissed, Enzan – kun."

"Yes, sir. I will be leaving." He saluted.

"Oh! Before I forget… How is Netto - kun?"

"He's fine: there's nothing to be worried about. But if we could have Laika come over then… His help would be greatly appreciated."

"Good idea. I'll contact Commissioner Malenkov. We need to figure out what's going around here and what happened yesterday."

16:09 PM (Japan Time), Friday June the 29th…

"… He should be about to arrive… Ah! Over there!"

Enzan was standing in the Arrivals Lounge of the Densan Airport when he spotted Laika walking over to him, carrying a small green-colored and wheeled plastic suitcase: they immediately shook hands.

"Enzan. I heard about the situation. You're in need of my skills?" Laika asked with a smile.

"Yeah. Our top priority is finding out about this "Chaos" person. I'll take you to the scene. "Chaos" seems to be in league with that "Committee" and the "Greek" but we want to make sure who they really are: you never know… They could be some mercenary which will then sell us for some money in exchange…" Enzan briefed.

"Please do."

Laika kept speaking with Enzan while they drove towards the Net Police HQ.

"How is Hikari doing?" He asked.

"He's doing pretty well. You know the story?"

"I'm aware that they're twin brothers and I know that he and Rock Man can swap their consciousnesses. I suspected it, truth to be told." Laika admitted.

"Maybe you'll be able to meet Saito directly." Enzan grinned.

"Maybe." Laika calmly replied.

"… Did they really need to make all of this mess?"

"Who knows?"

Search Man and Blues of them were investigating the alley where Cold Man had been deleted at and Search Man seemed taken aback by the high degree of destruction: Search Man suddenly spotted something on a corner of his eye and checked it up.

"Laika – sama. There's a Killer Eye virus. Two o'clock." He reported while getting his Scope Gun ready.

"Killer Eye?" Laika raised his eyebrows.

"I see!" Enzan exclaimed while slamming a fist into his palm.

"Killer Eye can be used as tracers." Blues clarified.

"There's a Battle Chip to do that, right? This how they get the info. They're spreading lots of them and have them record." Laika grasped.

"If we catch that Killer Eye then it could give us answers…" Enzan began saying before he was cut off.

An energy slice appeared out of nowhere and cut the Virus in half, deleting it: Blues and Search Man looked around but found no one and nothing.

"It looks like someone escaped out just now." Search Man announced while checking all of the corners.

"And they won't make more slips: you can bet on it. They seem to read all of our moves beforehand too… This isn't frustrating enough!" Blues added with obvious frustration.

A piece of cyber paper floated down to their feet, so Blues picked it up with caution.

"What does it say, Blues?" Enzan questioned.

"Well… "Not yet. The time isn't ripe yet. But I'm not you guys' enemy: why I hide my identity is but my own idea of suspense. Chaos." … He wants to play with suspense, huh." Blues muttered.

"Odd fellow…" Search Man frowned.

"Well. There's nothing else to be done here so let's go to my office so that we can pick up some documents…" Enzan sighed.

"Alright."

"Who are they?" Blues wondered.

16:27 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Here we are."

"Hum."

Enzan and Laika stepped into the VP office: Laika looked around while looking curious but, since the blinders were lowered, most of it was unlit and it didn't look that welcoming.

"Please wait a min: I've gotta pick all of my papers regarding the investigation." He told him.

"Sure." Laika shrugged.

The phone rang while Enzan was searching his desk's drawers: he checked the LEDs and spotted it was an external call.

_You're not gonna tell me it's the old man again… Let's try to be careful. I don't want him setting his icy eyes on me._ Enzan grumbled under his breath.

"IPC. Vice President Office." He announced in a polite manner.

_This should prove I'm being cautious._

"Ijuuin Enzan – dono…" A voice with a slight foreign accent intoned.

_This guy ain't my old man. He couldn't feign an accent and would never use such an honorific. Maybe it'd be best if Laika hears to it, too… I'll use the speaker._

Enzan pressed the speaker button so that Laika could also hear before he gestured with the head to call for his attention: this seemed to be important.

"And who might you be?" He politely asked.

"Call me Talos. Colonel Talos." The man calmly announced.

"Are you part of an army?" He inquired.

"I used to be in the Sharo Army during the last years of the Cold War."

Laika raised an eyebrow and looked hooked.

"Is that so?" Enzan replied.

He was recording the conversation at the same time Blues tried to trace the call.

"But worry not. We are not your enemies. Let's just say that we're _neutral_ but we are more inclined towards the Net Police."

"Really? If that is the case… Why do you need to hide your activities?" He was rather skeptical.

"It's been our policy for almost forty years, my good sir." Talos calmly replied.

"Huh? Forty years… And you started business in Ameroupe. Isn't that right?" Enzan questioned.

"Correct, Ijuuin – dono." Talos confirmed.

"Can I ask what you are up to apart from fighting those people you call the "Common Patterns"?"

"I'm afraid that's Level 3 information." Talos countered.

"How many levels of clearance do you have?" Enzan asked although he wasn't expecting an answer.

"Three. Only the highest executives have the clearance. I myself have clearance up to Level 2." The voice remained neutral.

"And aren't you being a bit reckless by telling me this, Tai - sa?" He tried next.

"I have permission from the higher ups."

"Is that so? And what do you gain from telling me all of this?"

"We simply want to reassure you that we are interested in keeping those individuals at bay. We might use our own methods: do not be surprised at it. I am afraid that other affairs recall my full attention, _Comrade_. Do have a good morning. Farewell."

Enzan stopped recording and calmly placed the receiver back on its place: Laika looked thoughtful and was rubbing his chin with the right hand as if reflecting.

"Were you able to track it, Blues?" He asked.

"I offer you my apologies, Enzan – sama. The encryption protocol was too complex." Blues apologized.

"But you got a copy of it, right?" Laika assumed.

"Affirmative."

"Let's go back to the Net Police. Search Man can help decoding it." Laika suggested a course of action.

"I agree." Enzan nodded in agreement.

He picked the papers and they climbed back into the limo to drive away: Enzan was looking out at the landscape.

_Alright. Next time I'll try asking if they're sure that that "Colonel Thunderbolt" guy won't try to rape Netto thinking it's a new "thrill" which is fashionable… Only a villain would come up with such propaganda! A heartless villain!_

"Heh, heh, heh… Heh, heh, heh… Heh, heh, heh…"

"Huh? Did you chuckle, Laika?"

"No. It's coming from the PET."

"What's wrong, Blues?"

"Some kind of encrypted VoIP channel, sir…" Blues reported.

"Who goes there? Shirakami? No, wrong. Your tune is different. You're not Forte either." Enzan demanded.

"Wait a minute, sir… This chuckle… I remember! When I entered the Reverse Cyber World and found that monster…"

"I am "Nebula Grey"!" The caller exclaimed.

"Huh? "Nebula Grey"?"

"Heh, heh, heh… Heh, heh, heh."

"What do you want?" Laika demanded.

"Who knows, spoiled army gnat?"

"WHAT? Spoiled army gnat, you said?" Laika was infuriated.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh… Who knows? You spoiled CEO son?"

"WHAT? Spoiled CEO son, you said?" This time it was Enzan.

"Who knows? You legendary sniper wannabe…?"

"WHAT? Legendary sniper wannabe, you say?"

"Who knows? You legendary swordsman wannabe…?"

"WHAT? Legendary swordsman wannabe, you say?"

"Yes! Just like that: terror and confusion will rule over your bodies and minds and lead you to kin-strife, blood and death! Mwah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah!"

"HUH!" The four of them gasped.

"Such is the desire of my grand Master! The Master which rules it all and rules them all! The Immortal Grand Master!"

"Master! So you're not the Boss?"

"Who knows? You Net Police dogs…?"

"WHAT?" They grumbled.

"Soon! Soon enough…"

"Oi! Wait! What's this about?" Laika demanded.

"The world will end!"

"We're so scared, really." Enzan drily replied.

"Hmpf! So you want to play smart."

"So you're a genius with an IQ of 180." Laika taunted.

"Hah!"

"And you think we'll let you do as you like."

"Hah!"

"No good, Enzan – sama. The encryption is very powerful."

"The signal is being re-routed every 30 seconds! I can't get a hold of the origin point's router NAT or their MAC addresses!" Search Man grumbled next.

"Whatever you do is fruitless!"

"Sure, sure."

"Starting with trying to protect society…!"

"Oh yeah? Whys' that?" Enzan folded his arms.

"Because they will destroy each other…!"

"I doubt that." Laika was skeptical.

"_Laugh and grow fat_! Mwah, hah, hah! Hah, hah!"

"Tell that to your belly." Enzan came up with a taunting motto and formed a smug smile on his face.

"The bomb's about to go off…"

"WHAT? A bomb! Where? When…?" Both gasped.

"5! 4! 3! 2! 1…! BOOM!"

Both jumped off the seats, startled, but nothing happened: laughter rang out through the line next.

"Hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah!"

"You bastard!" Blues growled.

"Show your hide!" Search Man challenged.

"No! Not yet. TOO early…"

"Wait! Are you "Chaos" then?" Enzan tried to guess.

"Chaos? Dunno! If you mean the repulsive traitor's pawns then I don't give a cent for them. One day they shall be annihilated!"

"Repulsive traitor's pawns…? So the commander of "Greek" and the other two betrayed your "Master"?" Laika deduced.

"Hmpf."

"Gotcha."

"I'd rather say Malenkov is screwing up with a cadet by now." The man taunted Laika.

"You bastard! Insulting my uncle's honor…! No! You were insulting the Commissioner of the Sharo Net Police!" Laika growled.

"Your old man, Ijuuin, is screwing with the son of some secretary there, in San Francisco." The man taunted Enzan.

"It wouldn't surprise me." Enzan was unimpressed.

"Grin and laugh while you can! Soon the world will end! Once I achieve my ultimate evolution! And my Master will begin a new empire outside of this planet! No! Not begin. Reboot! Reboot the Interspatial Empire! Mwah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah!"

The call finally ended and Search Man grumbled.

"I am sorry, sir. I was unable to get anywhere at all."

"Don't mind it, Search Man. They're serious."

"Guess I'll save it up as reference… If I could meet Blood Shadow or Sigma then I could pass that info into their boss… And maybe their Boss would know who "Nebula Grey", if that's their name, is…"

"Achieve ultimate evolution? Interspatial Empire? What a load of crap."

_That's for you, Laika, but I've got a hunch that it was for real…!_


	11. Chapter 11: The new crisis

**Chapter 11: The new crisis**

18:18 PM (Japan Time), Friday June the 29th…

"… Intruder alert! Intruder alert!"

"Heh, heh, heh… Heh, heh, heh…"

"You! Stop right there!"

"Heh, heh, heh… Heh, heh, heh… Go!"

"Yay! _Check it out_! Bright Man – sama's come!"

"Hah! Spark Man – sama's come!"

"Damn it! Burner Man brought accomplices along!"

Burner Man had been cutting through a firewall when the security team converged on his location: he merely looked over the right shoulder and then two "Darkloids" came into the scene.

"I go first! Bright Beam!"

Bright Man, one of the two "Darkloids" there, was slightly over a meter and sixty tall in height.

His head was protected by a helmet which covered the face all the way until the mouth: two round dome-shaped greenish bulbs seemed to be his eyes' equivalent system.

The helmet's band covering the part where his nose and eyes would be at was tinted black yet the upper section of it had been colored using orange coloring: two grayish metallic cone-formation objects protruded from the sides of the helmet and ended in a bluish spheroid.

Another prominent part about Bright Man's head was that there were two glowing fluorescent green wires which came out from two circular spots and ended in two electrical plugs colored metallic gray and blue: they looked like they could be connected to some device.

His neck was covered in the orange vest which ended a short distance from the waist.

His emblem, an orange sphere with six straight lines coming out of its lower edge and set against a sky blue background, was set inside of a navy blue edge with an arrow aiming downwards.

His upper body had an orange vest built over it while the rest of it was colored yellow: two round fluorescent bands were set around his shoulders from where his yellow-skinned arms came out.

His back was plain and unadorned save for a brown box with outer orange edges and inner black edges around a normal plug colored black but with a brown cylindrical body: the insides of the box were brown too.

The forearm armor had an upper orange section and a lower navy blue section: a sky blue band circled the diameter of it close to where the armor began:

A piece of armor shaped like a diamond was located over the palm: the front part of it had another green fluorescent piece on it while the rear part was plain armor: his hands were covered by white "skin".

His lower body and legs were also orange in coloring and were covered in armor from the knees downwards: the armor was also orange, had two blue round stripes, and ended shoes shaped like circles which included a greenish fluorescent band and metallic soils.

He suddenly made several bursts of light be emitted from his eyes and had them rotate around them: they shot forward and hit the security Navis: they were retrieved and he snapped his right hand's index and thumb finger again.

"Hah! Too easy! _Check it out_! The great I am invincible~!"

"Hah! Spark Ball!"

The other "Darkloid", Spark Man, could be close to a meter and seventy tall but had a rather massive shape.

A slightly shorter in diameter dome-like shape formed over his upper body and below the head: the head was shaped like a circle and had orange armor over them.

He also had a small tooth-like piece which formed beneath the forehead and extended until the spot where a person's nose would be at: his eyes were red and he had no visible mouth: the head also had a metallic piece shaped like the "L" character turned 90º to the right so as to aim northwards.

His main body was shaped like a thick disc and colored orange with two yellow bands plus three layers of metallic armor running down the sides: a hollow circular line spread across the front face of it while having two green bulb-like objects set on it plus his emblem which consisted on two simplistic yellow lances crossing each other and set over a blue background.

His shoulders were orange-colored spheroids and his arms were colored navy blue: two orange cylinders were placed there the hands would be at thus allowing him to carry large metallic spears emerging from the front and short ones from the rear of each cylinder: the outwards-facing sides of the cylinders had yellow curved bands spanning their total length set on them.

The lower body was colored navy blue plus blue spheroids placed where the ankles would be at with legs spreading from them until the knees, where the boots began: a small yellow-colored piece which was reminiscent of the "L" character turned 90º to the left: it had a small navy blue dot set close to the upper edge of it.

His boots were colored orange and ended in round platform-like formations: the central band of it was colored yellow with three green-colored drawings starting at the upper edge and spanning until the lower edge: the disc-shaped platform-like feet were decorated with a small navy blue dot set on the front of them.

He looked menacing and confident at the same time.

Spark Man formed orange spheroids with eight yellow extensions popping out at the corners and a green dot in the middle surrounded by metallic armor: they emitted electricity bursts.

"Ugra~h! Wua~h!"

"Mwah, hah, hah, hah! Trash will fuse with trash: they'll create further trash and then I'll incinerate it and take 'em out with a clean slash! Hah, hah, hah! Nyah, hah, hah, hah!" He laughed.

"Yay! We're better than Flash Man! _Check it out_!"

"Buy me another little while. I'm almost there." Burner Man called out as he tossed them six "Dark Chips" which landed at their feet.

"Heh, heh, heh. As long as there are "Dark Chips" involved then we don't care working with you…" Spark Man chuckled.

"Yay!"

"Sonic Boom!"

"Scope Gun!"

"Kuah!"

"Gruh!"

"What? The "Net Saviors"…!"

"That's as far as you come!"

"We won't allow you to enter the Net Police database!"

Blues and Search Man attacked Bright Man and Spark Man who grumbled: Burner Man looked over his right shoulder.

"Buy me 55 seconds to get in!" He called out.

"55 seconds? Piece of a cake! Yay! _Check it out_! Energy Ball!"

"Spark Whip!"

"Battle Chip, Bamboo Sword! Slot In!"

"Satellite Ray! Search Grenades!"

Search Man tossed some grenades at the feet of Spark Man which detonated and startled him before the miniature "killer satellite" shot an attack at him from behind.

"Eat this!"

"What!"

Bright Man formed a glowing greenish ball of energy which Blues hit back with the Bamboo Sword: he warped and appeared inches away from Bright Man to then slash the air and make him meet the ground while having a cut on his torso.

"Damn!"

"Battle Chip, Woody Tower! Slot In!"

"Ugra~h!"

The Woody Tower formed beneath Spark Man and he was lifted upwards before it vanished and he fell into the ground: an ugly-looking wound had formed on his body.

"Damn! Oi! Bright Man!"

"Yeah! _Check it out_!"

"Dark Chip!"

"Shit."

"Good! Another 7 seconds and I'll get in!" Burner Man rallied.

"Easy! Yay! Bright Beam!"

"Hah! Spark Whip!"

"Ua~h!"

"Muo~h!"

Both "Net Saviors" were kicked into the floor and Bright Man stepped over Blues while Spark Man crossed his lances over Search Man's neck and began to electrocute him.

"I'm in! I'm downloading the files… 13 seconds!"

"Hah! We're invincible~!" Spark Man laughed.

"They should've been corrupted just like Beast Man…!" Blues managed to utter.

"What? Beast Man? Hah! The fool was a weakling in the end." Spark Man scoffed.

"Yay! Too silly~! What's intelligent about coming up with an imitation program and some mirror plays?" Bright Man laughed.

"No! I think Shirakami edited them because the "Dark Chips" were designed like that by Dr. Regal…" Laika cursed.

"Shit. The rascal."

"I've got the stuff! Let's pull back! Today Flash Man loses! Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh!" Burner Man ran off while chuckling.

"Yay!"

"Hah!"

The three of them escaped so both Navis got up somehow: they ran inside of the database and Search Man scanned.

"Damn it. The files on the "Nebula Dimensional Converters"… Shirakami must want to refit them somehow because Regal isn't around to abduct Navis en masse…"

"Shit. The last thing we needed. A real-world war! But it'd seem those three can materialize so there'd be five defenders, at the very best: it'll be something hard! But we shouldn't complain because insofar there was but me and Rock Man." Blues fumed.

"Feel the despair!" The voice of "Nebula Grey" taunted from nowhere in particular.

The "monster", or, rather, a hologram of it, suddenly emerged from inside of the database and roared accompanied by laughter.

"Hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah!"

"Who the hell are they?"

18:39 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Let's set some cloaked Killer Eyes around… I reported to Mr. Sponsor, the Boss of that Omega guy, already… There was trouble at the Net Police database, it'd seem…"

The unidentified individual known as Chaos was walking around the Cyber World, placing Killer Eyes with cloaking ability: they then found something shiny in the ground.

"What is this?"

Chaos picked it up: it was data for a Variable Sword Battle Chip

_Oho. It might be useful._

They then turned it around to see a red stick on the back side.

_A tracer... So it's them. When will they focus on the "Darkloids" instead of believing random ideas about me?_

Chaos then sliced the fake Chip data in half before they activated a Dream Aura to reflect two Rabbit Rings which tried to immobilize them and logged out before the attackers could react.

"Shit."

"Damn."

Blues and Search Man came out of their hiding places.

"The target has retreated." Search Man merely announced.

"And we were very close. Why did we have to mark the data? After failing to protect the database, we fail to catch this guy as well! Shit." Blues growled.

"Well... That's how tracers are designed." Search Man simply replied.

"… Aha. That's how they're designed, huh…" Blues' comment had a tone of sarcasm to it.

"Blues? Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"During that time when Rock Man's Operator went into a coma – like status… You visited Rock Man a lot." He began.

"He is my partner. And I wanted to try and comfort him. You know he's more than a Net Navi." Blues pointed out.

"I can understand that. However… I think there is something between you two." He told him while sounding like he was teasing him.

"…Something? … Be serious." His tone turned serious.

"I'm not asking this because of an order." He cleared up.

"Really? … I suppose you can keep it secret. Right?"

"But of course." Search Man smiled.

"Sometimes I feel like we are very close. However, he is linked by blood to his younger brother and Operator. I think he hasn't realized. And I'm not in a rush: it may take some years to settle in."

"Ah. I was just satisfying my curiosity. I consider you my partner, Blues, and I will keep this secret." He shook hands with him.

"Thanks. I owe you one." Blues smiled.

"You don't owe me at all." Search Man replied.

"Huff. Change of plans. Let's leave Chaos for today. We're going for a stroll. We need to shake off this defeatist mood."

"And let's hope we don't meet Uncle Sam." Laika added with a smug smile, for once.

"Huh? What's the point of that, Laika? Is there any to begin with, anyway?" Enzan didn't seem to get it.

"Don't mind it." Laika shrugged.

"You're turning weird."

"Not my problem. Heh, heh."

19:09 PM (Japan Time)…

… _Netto – kun. Today and Wednesday were your turns. Why did you skip them?_

… _I wanted to experience how you felt during the _Crisis_, when you were forced to hide as my split personality…_

Saito was walking down a street and apparently talking with Netto: he looked somewhat sad and worried.

_That's why? _Saito was surprised.

… _Yeah. Also… I have a feeling which somehow tells me that you'd handle better than me if something were to happen. _

_Don't fret, Netto – kun… I'm sure we'll manage to find a good solution to this stuff. No – one is invincible. _Saito tried to cheer him up.

_Yeah. You're right, niisan. Enzan will end up finding out a way to deal with that jerk._ Netto sounded in a better mood.

Saito was about to cross in front of a side street when the IPC limo, coming from behind him, pulled up to him and stopped: Enzan lowered the window and smiled at him.

"Hullo, Saito." Enzan greeted.

"Hey! Enzan! How are you doing?" Saito smiled back.

"Would you join me and Laika for a ride?"

"Laika is here? Then count me in."

Enzan came out to allow Saito to have the middle seat: he climbed in and smiled at Laika.

"Hello, Hikari. It's been a while." Laika greeted with a smile.

"Sure it has, Laika - san. And I think Netto - kun learned from his mistakes three months ago… But no – one's perfect, anyway."

"Ah. Today it's you… Saito. So we finally meet."

"Please keep following this route." Enzan told the driver in the meanwhile by leaning over towards him.

"Roger, Vice President, sir."

"And how is Search Man?" Saito asked.

"See by yourself."

Laika took out his PET from his belt's pouch and handed it to Saito: he picked it and looked at the screen displaying Search Man.

"Hello, Search Man."

"Hello. Should I address you as Saito or as Rock Man?" Search Man asked, sounding slightly unsure.

"You can address me as Rock Man, if it's easier for you." Saito kindly offered.

"Thanks." Search Man smiled.

"So. What happened today?"

"Three "Darkloids" hit the Net Police Database and stole some files: Burner Man and two first-timers named Bright Man and Spark Man. Each used three "Dark Chips" in a row and won time for Burner Man to steal the data on the "Nebula Dimensional Converters"…"

"Oh crap."

"Chaos escaped us and that "Nebula Grey" thing showed up again to laugh at our defeat before escaping. No – one seems to have been able to detect how the hologram was projected from the core section of the database to begin with." Enzan continued.

Saito suddenly seemed to shudder.

"Are you O.K.?"

"Huh! I think the air conditioner is a bit low."

"Is this better?" Enzan asked after adjusting them.

"Thank you. I think I'm sensible to this kind of things. I mean… We're on summer, but I haven't experienced a real winter before."

"Don't worry over it. Everyone's got their sensations. Want me to drop you at your place?" Enzan offered.

"Thank you."

Both Enzan's and Laika's PETs rang with the distinct beep of a "Net Savior" call: a familiar face appeared on the screen.

"Enzan - kun! Laika - kun! We have a situation! Burner Man is trying to hack his way through our firewalls again! I think they're after data on the Advanced PET II this time!" Meijin reported.

"We're on our way, Meijin! Sorry. I'll drop you later." He told Saito after he confirmed the call.

"I don't mind. I'll stay here while you two deal with the "Darkloid". I don't want to get in your way."

"Huh? Someone's fighting Burner Man!"

"What!"

"That sword… Greek! It's "Greek"! Transmitting imagery…!"

"Oho. One correction… Name's Omega. Say bye to my dramatics."

"Omega! Sigma and Omega…" Saito muttered.

"YOU BASTARD!" Burner Man roared.

"Huh? What. Were you talking to me?" Omega asked in a dull tone of voice.

"What happened the other day with Cold Man?"

"He insulted my pride: I got annoyed and before I'd realized what I was doing I'd slaughtered the guy. My "butcher mode" must've been triggered, I guess." He didn't seem to be concerned.

"B-butcher mode…?" Everyone gasped.

"Well. Yeah. Instead of using about 80% of my power, I bring it out to 100% and dedicate my whole processor to fighting: I don't even speak and my processor only cares about my sword and gun skills."

"W-whoa!"

"You gotta be kidding me~!" Burner Man looked horrified, for once, as evidenced by his face.

"No." He directed a dry and dull glare at the guy.

"THIS FUCKER!"

"Says the man... You don't have "it" to begin with..."

"What's "it"? Power…?"

"Dunno. Ask Shirakami."

"The guy's always coming and leaving. But I don't care 'cause he gives us free access to a "Dark Chip" cache which never runs out!" Burner Man shot back.

"Chaos mentioned something about Shirakami going overseas to some Ameroupe army facility server somehow…" Enzan recalled.

"What could he hope to find there? A Kiowa Warrior?" Laika wondered.

"What's that?" Saito asked.

"One of the most terrific stealth choppers ever."

"Yikes."

"So. Big bully. What'll it be?"

"Shit. I'm off!"

"There. If only wars could be ended so easily…"

"W-whoa."

"And please don't pester "Chaos" that much. He's no criminal. He just has an eerie look to him and thinks he'd scare people off."

"A-alright."

"See ya around, I guess."

"Phew. Well. I'll drop you near the home and then go back to IPC to check on the security: I want to download the Advanced PET II data into a CD to have a physical copy just in case." Enzan sighed.

"Alright. Thanks for the ride. At least we finally got to meet Omega: and he's as impressive as I thought he had to be."

"Hah. Mere rubbish…!" "Nebula Grey" proclaimed.

"Is that…?"

"Yes! I'm the one who dragged you into my domains to analyze your battle potential: I needed future references just in case! I am "Nebula Grey": the Demon Tribe Chief who will eventually… achieve the ultimate evolution! Become the Demon God!" They proclaimed.

"So you're copying Sorcerer Gufuu." Saito tried to taunt.

"Yeah. I'm a copycat, sadly enough." He taunted back.

"If you're so terrifically powerful…" Laika began.

"…why don't I take over the "Darkloids"? Hah. I could, yeah. I could plunge that kid into an endless living _Naraku_ and make mincemeat of Shade Man wherever the fool is at but… Nah. Then the traitor dogs would get in the way. No! I'll bid my time. I don't care if I have to wait years. I'll find a good chance… To plunge this worthless world into terror and fear! Hear me out, Rock Man EXE! You and Hikari Netto will become property of the Great Master one day! Heh, heh, heh, heh… Hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah!"

"They've fled… What a creepy bastard." Blues grumbled aloud.

"Sure thing." Saito was unimpressed.

"Ah. Here we are. See you around."

"Alright. Bye."

Saito stepped down and the limo sped away: he began to walk in the direction of his house, one block away, while humming a tune and stepping past the entrance of an alley.

"Heh, heh, heh!"

"Huh?"

All of sudden, a strong arm grabbed him from behind and a soaked handkerchief was pressed over his mouth: focusing, he kicked with his elbows at his assaulter, who let go in surprise.

"Damn it! "Nebula Grey"?" He demanded.

"_Q-q-qué_? _No entiendo! Duerme, niño!_"

"Spanish? "W-w-what? I don't understand! Sleep, kid!"… You're the one who's gonna sleep!" He shot back.

Feeling dizzy, Saito then punched him on the stomach, and inflicted an uppercut to hit the man in the jaw: his vision was blurring, and he couldn't keep his focus up for much longer.

"_Maldito_!"

"… "Damn you"… That's my motto!"

He ducked a punch from the man and grabbed his arm: he positioned himself behind him and twisted the arm, drawing out a yelp from the attacker.

_Ugh…! No good…! I'm fading…!_

Suddenly all strength left him as he fell to the ground, losing consciousness: the man groaned and rubbed his arm.

"_Maldito crío_!"

("Damned kiddo!")

He dragged Saito towards a non-descript black Subaru and opened the trunk: he put the boy inside and tied him with tape and he also used some to blindfold and gag him.

"Heh, heh, heh! _Soy un genio_!"

("I'm a genius!")

He closed the trunk and climbed into the driver's seat before he moved out of the side alley and into the approaching evening: the driver smiled and chuckled under his breath.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh!"

"… Shit…! Damn you! You traffic light! When are you going to change to green?"

A man on his forties, dressed in regular business attire and with a black beard, black hair and sunglasses yelled as he pressed the horn of his car.

There was another man his age, who was wearing the same expect that he only had a brown moustache and brown hair: he wore a hat.

"Karasu. Yelling won't do you any good. Maybe it's broken?" He dully told him before making a suggestion.

"Hell! I'm going to fix it! Wait and see, Mori!"

The first man got out of the car and opened the wire compartment to see some wires mixed.

"Some lousy vandal manipulated the wires so it'd always stay red! He must be a s_on of a bull!_"

He used his plastic gloves to fix the signal and climbed back into the car, slamming the door shut.

"We will be _damned lucky_ if we're not _skinned alive_ for losing sight of the limo!" He hissed.

"Maybe we will, Karasu. But that gentleman should be back at his house by now." The other man kept his cool.

"I suppose. We're going to check, anyway. The Chief wouldn't forgive us if we didn't make sure he got there safe and unharmed. And he's in a terrible mood ever since last day around for some reason…"

They parked near the Hikari house five minutes later and they knew something was wrong right away: there was a police car in front of the house.

"Stay put. I'm going to check." Mori told Karasu.

"Yeah. Go ahead." Karasu agreed on it.

Mori got out and examined the ground: he entered the side alley guided by a muffled ringing sound: the source was a blue PET II which was rumbling and displaying a message onscreen:

MAMA CALLING

He spotted something else: there were marks from a car, and they were quite fresh.

"Let devil bite me." He grumbled.

He grabbed the PET II and headed towards the house: once he was there, he rang the doorbell and a policeman stepped out.

"Is this the Hikari residence? Has something happened?" Mori inquired.

"The boy who lived here has disappeared. He's not answering his PET II."

"Is it this one? "I found it at a side alley which is almost a block away from here. And there were car tires marks, too."

"You suspect abduction? May I have your name, please? Ah. The ID… Let's see… Arkeno Kamiyo – san. You are aged forty – four. You work for the Economics Department of Games Associates Inc. Thank you, sir."

"May I go, sir?"

"Of course. Your cooperation has been very useful."

"… Mr. Denpa, sir? We have a problem, sir. The gentleman has been abducted by an unidentified party." Mori contacted someone.

"_Moule à graufes! Espèce d'ectoplasme! Anthropopithèque! _Move it! He has to return home alive! NO MATTER WHAT IT TAKES! GET IT? NOW MOVE IT! BY SATAN! NO ONE SCREWS US!"


	12. Chapter 12: Who's the culprit?

**Chapter 12: Who's the culprit?**

08:18 AM (Japan Time), Saturday June the 30th…

_Unh… Huh… Huh… Huh?_

Saito stirred while slowly waking up: he felt dizzy and disoriented.

_Niisan! Niisan!_ Netto called out.

_Ne... Netto - kun?_

_Niisan! You're finally awake! _

"_Finally"…? Ah! The man who attacked _us!

_Exactly! _Netto confirmed.

_I can't move at all… He must have tied _us_… One thing is sure: he's either from Spain… Or from some Spanish – speaking nation…_

_Yeah, I couldn't really see him… The side alley was unlit…_

… _I think I saw a black Subaru…_

… _It could be. While you were out cold I tried to hear. We were driving for around an hour. We then got somewhere, and he carried _us_ and then left _us_ in "here", wherever "here" is. I've heard him chanting in joy sometimes, but it sounded muffled and distant. Maybe we're locked in a room. And I think it's already Saturday morning._

… _Did he talk at all?_

… _No. He just yelled. I think he was drunk._

_He was drunk? I think he's not really a pro but an _amateur…

_Maybe._

_Whose turn is it today? _Saito asked.

_Keep on being the main personality: you might be able to find a quick way outta this mess. _

_Don't try to hide in the back of your brain after this. _He warned.

… _Alright… I'll try to. _

Saito then interacted with the body: the dizziness was fading, but he could not move at all and he could not see or shout.

_Lovely._

But he could hear: erratic footsteps and sobs increased in volume as they came closer along with a voice of someone muttering aloud.

_He's speaking Spanish but I still have some Navi translation skills left on me so I should be able to more or less translate…_

_Alright. Tell me anything important. _

"Hips! Yep! Yahoo! I win…! That man now must be feeling hysterical… hips! Who does he think he is…? Hips! Yahoo! Yep! Mr. Perfect…? Gimme a break… Stupid man… he and his ridiculous alias… what's so cool… about a… "EM Wave Change"…? No sense… hips! At all…"

"'_EM Wave Change"… In Japanese, that'd be… "Denpa Henkan"! He knows something about him and he seems to think he's gotten smarter. And I'm sure he's an idiot to begin with._

The door opened with a loud creak noise.

"And now… this kiddo… hips! Who knew… hips! Kiddos knew self-defense…? Then again… hips! Ops! This is Japan… the _manga_ country… and the _karate_ and _judou_… fanatics…" The man kept on muttering aloud, sounding erratic.

_Fanatics! How silly! It's just a typical sport! _

_Yeah! You don't say someone from Ameroupe is a football fanatic: it's just the national sport! This _baka _jerk!_

"But…! The cleverest part… was sabotaging that… traffic light! That kept them stuck forever… and they didn't see me taking the kiddo! Heh… ho… huh… hi… hah… This bloody Mexican Vodka was too much… Oops!" The man couldn't stop getting hiccups from time to time. 

_Mexican Vodka, he says? What an odd choice for an alcoholic drink…_

_You said it, niisan…_

_He's an _amateur_, alright._

_Yeah. No pro would drink vodka after getting away with it._

"What should I do with the kiddo? I need him to be… what was… the word…? Ah! Bargain chip… How I'm gonna convince him of not trying… to run away? Ah! What memory… I have _this_… Oops!"

_What is he up to now? Is he gonna drink more Mexican Vodka?_ Netto wondered.

_Let's wait and hear, Netto._ Saito told him.

"Hic! I know this gun's… a fake… but it looks… convincing enough… Heh, heh! Wait… he's still… asleep? It's… eight in the morning… maybe I used too much chloroform? They use a lot in the movies … maybe I overdid it… and how to tell them 'bout… the… ransom? I have… an idea! Heh! But, firstly… let's get some food for me… and the kiddo! I'll order… a take away… can't drive… hips! With this… hangover…"

The door slammed shut, and they heard the erratic footsteps going away along with hiccups sound.

_You were right, Netto - kun. This guy's just an _amateur_ who's seen too many films._ Saito told him.

_And he thinks he's clever… He's just dumb stupid…_

_Listen: we know he has a fake gun. Let's play along with him. Let's act like we're scared. Since he's so idiotic then I have no doubt he'll fall for it. At the first moment he's distracted, I'll give him the biggest kickass of his life and we get outta here. Whaddya think?_ Saito quickly exposed a course of action.

_Brilliant! Let's do it!_

Saito remained quiet for a while and even dozed off before the footsteps and the hiccups sounds came into his hearing range again.

_There they come! _

This time, his footsteps were not so erratic: the door opened, and Saito felt a knife cutting the tape.

_I better not move yet._

He noticed something cold against his head so he didn't move at all, feigning being still out cold.

_Let's wait to see his reaction… And I know the metal is the fake gun to begin with… _

"Listen, kiddo. This gun's real, and I can shoot you. If you try to escape, that is… hips! And don't think I'm a fool, because… hips! I'm a genius! If you behave correctly, you'll be back in home in some hours… hips! Get me?" The man kept sounding like he had a hangover and kept on having hiccups attacks.

"Huh… _Sí, señor_… Yes, mister…"

"Good, kiddo. Eat this…."

The man left some bags in front of him and signaled a wood door behind him with a smug smile on his face.

"That's the restroom… There's a bed there. And if you get bored, there's the TV. You keep quiet, and nothing happens. OK?"

"O.K., Mister." Saito put on an innocent face.

"Good kiddo… hips!"

He stood up and Saito took the chance to have a closer look at him. He looked on his thirties.

His hair was brown, had a bit of a sunken face and his eyes' irises were brown: he was clean shaven as well.

His clothes were a dirty-looking brown raincoat over a sleeveless white shirt, jeans and brown sneakers.

He exited the room, closing the wood door and bolting it from the outside before dragging his feet away.

"How many shoes are in a shoe-maker? A billion shoes in a shoe-destroyer! Bwah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah!" The man laughed at his own joke.

_He's crazy._ Saito looked totally unimpressed.

"Good live to the ugly things!"

"Sure, sure."

"Moan and roam!"

"What's the point?"

"Dispatch a dispatch!"

"Do that yourself." Saito muttered with some sarcasm.

"Roll and troll long the stroll!"

"Man. He's so… illogical! He'll end up driving me mad. I can't stand random and illogical things. The Cyber World's everything has a reason for its existence…" Saito complained as he brought a hand to his forehead as if he could feel a headache.

_Whoa. Maybe I should swap?_

_Yeah. Swap. You're used to random stuff: handle it, Netto – kun, because I'm outta my league here. I need some time to cool off too._

He closed his eyes and opened them again: he walked over to the restroom and took out his eyes' contacts before pocketing them in the case he always carried.

"It feels weird to come back after all these days… Maybe Saito – niisan was right and nothing will change if I try to hide…"

"Those blessed, evil and repellent GUYS!"

"What the heck is that?" He rolled his eyes.

"I'm a GENIUS! GENIUS! GENIUS!"

"Someone get us outta here before we go mad."

10:33 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Damn it!"

Enzan was walking around a ground floor room on the IPC building, pacing back and forth.

_I should've dropped him in front of the door: it would've only meant a two minute delay! _He inwardly cursed.

There was loud noise as something crashed through the window, shattering it and dropping to the ground: he looked outside to see a black Subaru speeding away.

"What?"

He picked up a brick which had a piece of paper wrapped around it with a string: he cut it and read the paper, the handwriting of which was really messy: it was on Spanish.

"Enzan – sama. It reads as following… "Ya wanna see the kiddo, gimme 1,000 Credits in cash. Come by yerself to this address: 47 Kayora Road. Deal's at 14:00. If ye call the cops ye ain't seein' yer friend ever again. Vincent "Red"…"… It's a ransom notice, sir!"

"By all the…! A ransom note…! He asks for 1,000 Credits in cash. I'll go! But I have a surprise up my sleeve...He won't get away with it! Blues. Tell the limo driver to be ready to depart immediately."

"Roger, sir."

"I'll bring the money too but I've got some surprise in store for the villain who I don't think he's working for Shirakami or some thug: they wouldn't use such an imbecile, really."

"True, sir. They must be a wannabe, sir."

"Yeah. You've hit the mark… Well. He's soon gonna regret messing with the Net Police of all guys. Ijuuin Enzan won't let a friend be kidnapped so easily and then letting them to get away with it! My word!"

"Stick out your neck, you rascals!"

10:51 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Yep! Yup! Yahoo! The trick worked! I love _clichés_! They're so _educational_! Forget text books! _Clichés _are the answer! Yahoo! Yep! Hips!"

The kidnapper, Vincent "Red" was shouting while sitting on a chair placed inside the kitchen of his house: he'd been drinking a cheap wine as evidenced by the label.

"_Viva la revolución! _Blast the capitalists! Hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah, hah!"

"… This guy's nuts… Really. Just what we needed…"

Netto was trying to cool off watching something over the TV but he couldn't help to be distracted by his yells.

"Niisan? You there? What did he say?"

_He's admitting he's a communist._

_Is that a bad thing?_

_Not really. The "Communist equals to the enemy" thing ended along with the Cold War in the early 90s. I know I've only had skimmed over the basics of most nation's histories in these years but at least I know that no – one cares about that nowadays. Well. I know Choina is communist but that's their way of being. Besides, as an economical model, it was proven to be a complete disaster… So we're stuck with capitalism and I don't see a problem with it because it works fine most of the times._

_Alright. So I shouldn't mind the guy._

_No. He's saying random stuff outta the blue which drives me mad hence why we've swapped places. I'll swap again when we need to run off because you're a bit rusted when it comes to the self-defense classes while I'm fresher, Netto – kun._

_Deal. I'll try not to escape reality either._

_Huh? I think the guy's coming down to take the platter back. Turn off the TV and the lights and get into the agreed position!_

_Roger!_

_Swap!_

_OK!_

He suddenly heard him climbing down the steps, so he hid beside the door and got into a fighting pose: Vincent entered and didn't bother to turn on the light because he'd just come to pick the tray.

"_Buenas noches_! Good night!"

"_Qué_? What?"

Saito took profit of his distraction and delivered a hand strike to the man's skull, knocking him out cold.

"Uah!"

_That was way too easy._ Netto sounded satisfied.

_We're not out of here yet, Netto - kun._

Saito ran out and climbed up the stairs: he found a suitcase ready inside of bedroom, as well as plane tickets for Mexico City.

"Heh. They guy wanted to hide in Mexico, huh? That's not a bad idea. Too _clichéd_, though. And I think he comes from there to begin with: he must've wanted a ransom to get the money for some caprice or another to begin with…" He grinned.

_Yeah. That's exactly it._

They heard a car stopping in front of the house.

"Oho. I think I know who it is."

Saito ran out and found an IPC limo: Enzan came out with a metal suitcase and his mouth gaped open.

"You _escaped_! You're telling me I brought up 1,000 Credits out of IPC for _nothing_!" He yelled while dropping the suitcase into the ground from the surprise.

"I just got out of there five minutes ago. The man's out cold on his basement. I think he'll be excited to find himself locked in there." Saito replied with a smile as he signaled the house behind him with his thumb finger.

"Okay. I was going to hand him the money and then call for a "Dimensional Area" to be formed with the newly-completed "Dimensional Generator"… But I guess you saved me the job." He sighed in relief and put up his usual smile.

"I sure did." Saito shrugged.

"I'll ring up the Net Police men. We gotta interrogate the dude." Enzan announced.

"Okay. He needs a lesson." Saito nodded in agreement.

"Hello? Commissioner Kifune? Trouble solved, sir. They're unharmed, sir, and they've trapped the culprit in the address I am… Send some agents and let's bring them to the HQ for interrogation, sir."

"Good, Enzan – kun! I'll handle that. I'll send Misaki – kun."

"Misaki – kun…? I don't know him." Enzan admitted.

"I dunno too." Saito admitted.

"Heh, heh. Well. No surprise. Can you still remember the day when Beast Man assaulted the Science Labs? The "Cross Fusion" experiment you witnessed? He's the young man who was trying it out but the experiment failed…" Kifune explained.

"Oh! I can remember… What was his Navi's name?"

"Prism Man! He's got incredible combat abilities. You should get introduced to each other. They're on their way there and since it's a close location then…"

The sound of a car became louder and a patrol car came into sight: it stopped and two policemen along with another man stepped down.

"Misaki Gorou. I've heard of you, Netto – kun."

"Ah… Nice to meet you, Misaki – san…"

"He's a Detective." Kifune announced.

"Detective Misaki, then…"

Misaki Gorou appeared to be on his mid-20s or a bit older but he surely hadn't hit the 30s mark yet.

He had messy dust brown hair and brown irises: his face was clean shaven and neat.

He sported an open yellowish coat over a simple white shirt, a pair of bluish jeans, and black sneakers with white soils.

His height could be over a meter and eighty tall.

"So you're Prism Man?"

"Yeah. I've heard of you, Blues."

Prism Man clearly was about a meter and eighty in height too and he had a look of being a serious type.

His main bodysuit color was a shade of white-toned brown yet he had purple armor over his upper torso and shoulders.

His face was protected by purple armor built around it and they had no mouth and nose but a pair of red-colored pupils shaped like pyramids aiming downwards set over a black background.

Two lances reminiscent of missiles had been attached to the outer edges of his shoulders' armor.

The chest armor contained the emblem which had brownish edge: the drawing was a set of three red thin lines forming an Alphabet "V" character when seen from the right and with a blue pyramid popping out of the left edge the peak of which was set on the middle of both pathways: the whole drawing was set over a white brown color.

His forearms' armor was also purple in coloring and protected great part of the hands leaving only the fingers (covered in black "skin") sticking out.

The boots began over the knees and used brown as the main color with purple for the part over the foot's front and the soils: a line travelled up the length of the boots until it spotted short of the knees: two metallic prisms aimed upwards from the knees' spot.

Overall he looked strong and agile: he and Blues were talking inside of the limo's computer.

"Where's the culprit?" Misaki asked.

"In the basement room: it can be opened from the outside."

"He seems to be Spanish or from some other nation given how he wrote the ransom note in Spanish."

"I think he's Mexican: he's got plane tickets for Mexico City."

"Seize them!"

"Roger!"

The two policemen rushed into the house along with Misaki while Saito sat on the seat of the limo and picked a bottle of water to serve some into a glass: he drank it up.

"Phew! My muscles are still aching from being tied so many hours: luckily I delivered some lessons to the guy too…"

"Heh, heh, heh… Heh, heh, heh… Heh, heh, heh… Heh, heh, heh… Hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah!"

"GRUO~H!"

"Fuck. They're back."

"By all the…"

"Nebula Grey" suddenly projected out of the house's chimney and roared as it spread its arms: the "face" formed in front of the monster's chest and it seemed to be grinning.

"Enjoy this bittersweet victory while you can! Soon enough the world will be filled with terror and chaos! Farewell, you herd of fools!"

12:44 PM (Japan Time)…

"… The monster vanished rightly afterwards… But who the hell is behind that thing? If only I could have those three Navis listen to the guy's boasts then they might realize…"

"… Alright. It took a while but we've gotten the info of what prompted this guy to act…"

"Fire away, VP – sama."

"Hah, hah. How funny…"

Saito was waiting in one of the visiting halls of the Net Police and shuffling through a novel: Enzan soon met up with him and Saito pulled a joke on him which was met with dryness.

"Well! It turns out that he's just an interpreter-for-hire. He won't admit from where, but he knows about Denpa. He seems to even fear him and the organization he represents." Enzan summarized.

"What do you make out of it, Blues?" Saito asked.

"I looked it up. But I can't find any references as to when and how he met or heard of Denpa." Blues replied.

"He'd heard of Netto in the news back when you two put down "Gospel", so he thought he could try to provoke Denpa by abducting you."

"So that was his motive, huh… But didn't he ask for cash, too?"

"He sure did. He claimed that it wouldn't be a true abduction if he hadn't done so." Enzan shrugged.

"He's just a movie-obsessed idiot. What are you gonna do with him?"

"We'll keep him closed for a while since abduction is a crime. He doesn't seem to mind it: he actually seems to believe he'll be safe once he's in jail. I guess he's afraid of what Denpa could do to him." Enzan explained.

"OK! _Case Closed_, then. I'll praise you, Enzan – chan."

"Oh come on…! Saito! Gimme a break…!"


	13. Chapter 13: Chaos unveiled

**Chapter 13: Chaos Unveiled**

18:08 PM (Japan Time), Monday July the 2nd…

"… Huff! Today was an intense class."

Netto was walking down a familiar street after the self-defense class: he looked distracted.

_Technically… You should be the main personality today, niisan…_ Netto was telling him.

_Netto – kun. This is _your_ body. It belongs to you. I can't pretend to be you forever: you're a person and you are who you are. I'm very happy to be able to feel like I was a real person, but you can't just pretend all problems will vanish if you go into the "second plane". We've discussed this before over and over again. _

… _Guess you're right… _Netto sighed in defeat.

_And I don't want to push your brain, either. It can't be easy for it to suddenly have to bear me. Papa did tell us to be careful. _

_Okay… I guess I gotta face the cruel reality in front of my face and not try to run from it…_

… _I'm not scolding you, mind you. I'm just trying to point out your flaws, Netto - kun. _Saito told him.

_I know you're doing it for my sake, niisan, but I also care about you…_ Netto argued.

_We do care for each other, so why don't you try to cheer up? Maybe you'll soon have one of those Advanced PET II and you'll be able to show it to everyone by saying this: "I'm unrivaled!"… _Saito tried to come up with something to cheer Netto up.

_Yeah! You're right. I'd love seeing Dekao's face. He'd start complaining right away and demand one, too. _Netto smiled.

_See? And then you can ask him why he didn't name Guts Man "Gorilla Man" to begin with. _Saito suggested next.

_Yeah. He really should be Gorilla Man!_

Being engrossed in his "conversation", he didn't see a figure standing right in front of him and he collided with it, falling to the ground from the sudden hit.

"Ouch! I'm so sorry!" He apologized.

He stood up on his feet again and froze: there was tall figure clad in a brown cloak standing in front of him.

"Wha…?"

It took some seconds for him to notice an almost invisible "Dimensional Area" surrounding the area so he recoiled, afraid.

_This guy gives me the creeps! _Netto told him.

_Try asking who he is…_ Saito sounded nervous, too.

"Shi-Shirakami?" He questioned.

"No." The figure replied as it made a strange "breathing" like sound.

_Doesn't that sound like a _Star Wars_ character?_ Netto wondered.

_It sure does. _Saito agreed on it.

_He looks way taller than me… This guy ain't Shirakami, then. He ought to be just a few inches taller than me, but this guy looks like about 1'80 tall instead… _Netto realized.

_Try asking who he is again._ Saito suggested.

"Then… Who are you?" He asked again.

"I'm a companion." The figure replied.

"You're a companion?"

"Guess you've heard of my nickname."

"Alias…? Are you "Chaos", by any chance?"

"Well… Yeah. I'm the guy. Yeah." The figure admitted.

"What do you want?"

"To meet you…"

"Meet me?"

"I've heard of you, Hikari Netto… And you've picked me. Saving everyone in exchange for nothing… No real ambition… Just what had to be done: being the right guy to do it…"

"Huh… Well… And what's with this "Dimensional Area" thing?"

"Well. Mr. Sponsor set it up using his own developed "Dimensional Generator" system: it's a prototype."

"Whoa. So he came up with the same thing Wily did?"

"He did. Follow me. We'll talk in a more secluded manner. But don't worry: I'm you guys' ally."

"But… Why the cloak…?"

"My real appearance is… queer. You'd get the wrong idea, I believe. Blame the guy who designed me, that "Professor" guy…"

"… "Professor"? "Kyoju"?"

"A former "WWW" man…"

"I'd never heard of the guy."

"Unlike that quartet, the "Professor" was an assistant to Wily's researches and wasn't involved in field work… After Pharaoh Man took out the base and Wily seemingly along with him, the guy said "there's no meaning to the WWW sans Wily – sama" and disappeared. He started his own lab and projects… But Mr. Sponsor noticed his plans around May and thus freed me from the guy's control…" He explained.

They stopped inside of a warehouse and "Chaos" turned to face them again: Netto sat atop a crate and looked curious.

"Oh! I see… So, what's your real name? Can you at the very least tell us that? Or it's too boring compared to "Chaos"?"

"Well… "Chaos" is derived from my real name… My real name happens to sort of be "Chaos" too… _Zero_. That's my name."

He suddenly pulled the cloak away and Netto gasped.

"W-WHOA!"

Zero's main body color was crimson red and his height was about the meter and eighty spot: his design was rather curious.

To begin with, his head had a large sapphire-colored dome encompassing it as seen from above: some kind of partial facial protection was built on the front: it was a pair of equally reddish "wings" extending NW and NE followed by two thin parallel fang-like ends running down the sides of the face: where the ear-pads would be at, a gray-colored "∅" symbol over a black background was drawn.

His eyes didn't have pupils to them and their irises were a threatening yellowish color: his face's "skin" was metallic in color and he did have a small nose yet his mouth was but a line drawn across it forming a trapeze in the center of the face: it didn't look like it could open and the "breathing" sound was emitted from inside of it.

His upper body had partial chest armor colored red over his blackened "skin" and looked more like a vest than armor: there was an inverted trapeze-shaped opening exposing the base of the neck and the center of the upper chest followed by two round openings in the middle of the chest: the armor ended by drawing a trapeze on its lower edge exposing the "skin" of the waistline: it did form a curve to protect the sides and read parts of the neck too with three small horizontal slits set in a column on the front parts of the neck protection.

The armor over his shoulders appealed as being knives while seen from the front: they had a thin metallic outer edge and the main color on them was red: they were thick and looked strong.

His arms' skin was black in color too while his hands were covered in the usual white "latex" most Navis had: two armlets were attached over the section of his arms extending from the elbows to the top of his hands. Each one had a mainly cylindrical form with red and black armor: the black armor was built of a stripped cylinder with the red armor over it: two circular bands kept it on place looping around the elbow and the wrist: the upper part had a diamond-shaped piece over the elbow plus a small sapphire over his hands.

There was a gap around the stomach area which was unshielded in the form of a cross: a pair of white "pants" began on the lower part of that gap and extended until the knees: these "pants" didn't cover the outwards-facing sides of his legs.

His knees had diamond-shaped pieces of armor with a thin vertical stripe across their center protecting them before the boots began: they were rather plain except for a set of three black bands slightly over the ankles of each foot: the thin soils of the boots were also colored black.

Last of all he had a mass of blonde hair spreading from behind his helmet and stopping inches from his ground: this hair spread open as a cape and ended in six pyramidal gaps between each end.

Overall, the Navi looked tall, threatening, and unique.

"Well? Do I have a point?" He asked while folding his arms.

Oddly enough, his mouth didn't move and his voice seemed to come out of nowhere at all: his "eyes" remained unchanged too.

"C-cool!"

"What?"

"… C-cool! You're cool! You gotta be the coolest design Navi I've ever seen! You've got so many cool spots!"

"Is that what you really feel, Hikari Netto?"

"Sure! I never lie."

"Well. Then maybe you won't mind knowing that I'm also named "Zero Virus" as well… That's my true nature, anyway."

"W-what…? "Zero Virus"? So you're a… Virus? A Navi-shaped Virus…?"

"Yeah. The "Professor" was designing this "Zero Virus" to infect Navis and make them run berserk: he'd then sell fake vaccines which had placebo effect into them and from the built up sum of money he'd dedicate it to pushing his researches forward…"

"Wow."

"Well. Regarding Mr. Sponsor… He's in a special place… I've been up there: few people realize what's there… It's superb."

"Up there…? You mean… A plane…?"

"Close…"

"A helicopter…? A jet…?"

"No. MUCH higher..."

"A private space-station…? Is that even possible?"

"Regal was building one, yeah."

"Regal was! He wanted to hide there and rule the world from there, you mean to say? Wait! Then… The reason the "Dimensional Converters" used to fall from the skies… We thought they were loaded into missiles which shot from somewhere, glided back in and then got shot out but… They were dropped somehow from orbit?" Netto asked.

"Yeah. There's still an unmanned satellite up there which contains some missile bays: these missiles were designed for re-entry and they could shoot out the "Converters" when close to their target… They were then retrieved and I think some robots took care of refurbishing the rockets for the next shot…" Zero explained as he sat on another crate too and stretched.

"By the way! Is Shirakami intended in stealing a Kiowa Warrior?"

"What? Ah! You heard that of his overseas trips. Well! Frankly enough… I still dunno. It could be that for all we know but I'm trying to dig up old Army projects… There's one which seemingly concerns Mr. Sponsor but he didn't elucidate… Guess he wants to make sure."

"What do you know about "Nebula Grey"?"

"What? "Nebula Grey"? First-timer…"

"How curious... Anyway, the thing's some kind of monster created by a guy out there… We dunno their ID… But they called Mr. Sponsor a "traitor" and keep on talking about some "Master"…"

"Then that'd be "IQ"… I've heard rumors about them."

"IQ?"

"The former ruler of the Japan underground…"

"Yikes. So the thugs Forte had to fight back in March were agents sent forward by that "IQ" whoever they were."

"No doubt. But Mr. Sponsor removed them and then the "unity", which was artificial to begin with, vanished, so they resumed their old style of killing each other. Trash will fight trash." He shrugged.

"Well. The thing apparently began in that creepy place of the Reverse Cyber World… As some gigantic purplish mass of energy… Blues went down there again but it wasn't there anymore so it'd seem that "energy" had used to be there, idle for some years, before this guy found it and took it with him somehow… It was huge, though…"

"Maybe by using some kind of compression algorithms…"

"Compression…?"

"You've never used a Win RAR file?"

"Oh! You mean those packages things which can make files occupy less space to be stored up online…? That's "compression"?"

"Sure. It's an important thing: they're the basis for most programs and Net Navis nowadays as well."

"Well. If you could tell Mr. Sponsor about that… He might have a hunch of who's skilled enough to pull all of that."

"Sure. There can't be that many guys who can do that."

"I'll praise you yet, Watson apprentice!"

"Hell."

"What?"

"MUGRO~H!"

The "Nebula Grey" hologram suddenly loomed over them and the "face" showed up again while drawing that creepy skull-like grin.

"So! You lowlife… You're THE Zero Virus… I've just come from 123 Akihara Port Town and "Wily's Sushi", the _sushi_ factory that "Professor" guy built over his HUGE and GIGANTIC underground lab…" He laughed.

"Then…! When _sensei_ talked about "123" he mean the "Professor" by the address of his hideout…! Oi! You! "Nebula Grey"! Was "IQ" that "grand Master" you had?" Netto demanded.

"Hah! Correct! Glory to IQ – sama~!"

"They're in the brig somewhere in Louisiana, anyway." Zero was far from impressed.

"Whoa. So they're in brig… Serves them well…!"

"History shall judge! Not some pitiful humans!"

"So you're a Net Navi."

"Wasn't it obvious, Watson apprentice? Hah, hah, hah…"

"Show your evil, blessed and repellent hide."

"Vincent's mottoes, eh? He's gonna sue ya for copyright infringement, ya know, Hikari Netto! "Nos vemos en el tribunal, amiguete"!"

"… "Let's meet in the court-room, buddy!"…" Zero grumbled.

"Hah! I'm off. Laugh while you can. _Laugh and grow fat_!"

The thing vanished and Netto grumbled under his breath.

"Who the hell was that guy? Guess I should tell Mr. Sponsor…!"

00:44 AM (Honolulu Time)…

"… It's almost ready. I need to find a power source…_They_'d make a very good one, if I could fuse them together like they usually did… But _I _am the one that has the Navi body, so…"

Shirakami was standing inside of a dome - shaped room: the ceiling contained a glass dome and it was quite tall.

There was a tall vertical cylindrical capsule with two sliding glass doors set on the midst of the room which had a small glass dome on top of its body.

There were open restraints for arms and legs inside and many unplugged wires hung from the walls.

The whole thing was quite dusty, having been unused in years.

Shirakami paced back and forth in front of the capsule, apparently unsatisfied with something.

"Che. More job ahead of me. As if trying to bring this huge installation back online… I should grateful to the blockhead military men who wanted it to be hidden. This place looks like a volcano-like mountain from the outside… This way no one notices anything… But to think it has such applications! They were really ahead of their time… Since Wily was secretly working on it at the time then it's not _that_ surprising…"

He sighed again and looked around the room again.

_Ah. But I ought to thank Saito for introducing me to Rush… He was the key all this time… By turning his data using the Science Labs' Battle Chip Maker System into a "Rush Synchro Chip"… Free materialization sans the need of a "Dimensional Area" is possible… Heh, heh, heh! I restored him already and kept the data apart… Switching topics… I'm worried about those 3 Navis … Given the reports from the "Darkloids"… They must be aiming to make me get frustrated!_

He suddenly switched moods as he began to think about something else: he brought a hand to his chin, closed his eyes and seemed to be fantasizing: he licked his lips in a creepy manner.

_Hmmm… Once I get this thing up and running, then I'll go pick him and we'll have some S&M games for a long, long time… I'd done it before, but a good villain always makes sure to have his master plan underway before taking care of the loose ends… _

He turned serious again and let out a yawn.

"Fua~h…"

He stretched and rubbed his eyes: he could see a figure leaning in a casual way against the right side of the capsule.

_Wait…There's someone else in here?_

He rubbed his eyes and blinked: there was no one else in there.

"Huh?"

He checked the surroundings and made sure there really wasn't anyone there apart from him.

… _I should rest more. Let's go back to the castle. I can use the material I have to entertain myself… I can keep doing my own personal stuff… I wanna have some masturbation today too… Let's replay the footage of that April night… How lovely it was!_

Grinning, he dematerialized and disappeared from the room while a figure dropped down atop the machine.

"Heh, heh, heh. You can't catch a _ninja_ unawares. Boss!"

"What's up, Daratsu?" Someone replied over a radio.

"You were right, Boss. He's trying to use the "Facility"."

"I knew he'd been snooping around looking for info on Wily's projects when he was younger. And what did you find out?"

"He plans on using Hikari and Rock Man as energy source. However, he'd need them to "Cross Fuse", and he can't do it just like that."

"That's the only _positive_ aspect of him taking over. You may try making a replica without "Dark Power"…"

"Yeah. What'd happen?"

"But I'm sure you'd be unable to blend the DNA easily. He hasn't realized it yet, but his DNA code is a mix of Saito's and you-know-who's main "Ultimate" Program now." The man continued.

"Should I keep the surveillance up?"

"Keep at it, Daratsu. Now that he can't force them to "Cross Fuse"… That machine ain't doin' a bloody thing." The figure chuckled.

"OK!"

"Heh… You may keep plotting, Shirakami… But I know it better than you do… You cannot succeed in this crazy plan of yours, which isn't entirely original, see… That's what Regal had in mind while he led "Nebula", anyway… You're somewhat of a copycat to begin with."

"So true."

"Yo! Boss! Got a new joke~!" Sigma laughed.

"Well. What's it today, Sigma?"

"Up and down left and right goes nowhere at all Mr. Center of the Universe~!" He made up some weird rhyme.

"Hmpf… Well. If you mean it's a static center then it's true it can't go in any direction, true…" Mr. Sponsor shrugged.

"Heh, heh, heh! I'm Rhyme Man! Oi! Daratsu!" Sigma called out while chuckling.

"What, Sigma?"

"Ya owe 111 souls!"

"W-w-w-WHAT…? 111 souls…? Souls of WHAT…?" He demanded.

"Ya never know: of blues and jazz and pop!"

"Get out, Sigma. I'm about to get annoyed."

"Really… That guy's too hyperactive…" Daratsu grumbled.

20:40 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Well! What best manner to end the day than with a good supper at Maha Ichiban's? Heh, heh!"

"… True. Here's the Maha Special!"

"Yoho!"

Netto had come to Maha Ichiban's to have lunch and Hinoken had served him the Maha Special: Netto looked eager once he set his eyes on it so he ate it while Hinoken began cleansing the adjacent tables and humming _Viva La Vida_.

"Hum! It's as excellent as always!"

Netto finished with the curry and drank some water.

"You know! I heard an interesting rumor the other day…" Hinoken began after he'd cleansed the tables.

"What rumor?" He asked, feeling curious.

"It says that some weeks ago a fake tanker which used to belong to "Nebula" and had been the main HQ was robbed from the dockyard where it'd been stowed at. It happened late in the night." He explained.

"Who in their right minds would want a fake tanker even if it was Nebula's HQ? It must be empty. I was there when they kidnapped me but it's gotta be a worthless piece of junk by now."

"Oh yeah. Well. Maybe they were looking for the "Dark Chips"..." Hinoken shrugged.

"Oh. Hmmm… The "Nebula Base"…"

"Is there something in your mind?" Hinoken asked, smiling.

"Huh? No. I was just intrigued at who'd be able to pull off something like that. Don't you need a whole crew to pilot a ship?"

"You sure do! But there's also an onboard computer. One could set in on auto-pilot. And keep in mind that it's just a rumor."

Hinoken picked Netto's dish and glass: he deposited them on the counter and then walked back to in front of him before he suddenly leant towards him.

"So… Do you get along with talking to - Rock Man's _spirit_?" He asked in a hushed tone.

"Huh? Ah! But he's using a temporary frame for the time being…" Netto replied.

"Oh. But he must feel uncomfortable there, right?" Hinoken guessed.

"Yeah. But recreating his frame ain't easy because there's some complex data which wasn't backed up and it must be written from scratch." Netto went their father's cover.

"I get it: it wasn't easy for Meijin to recreate Fire Man from Heat Mans' frame, either." Hinoken grasped.

"Yeah. It's something along those lines."

"I'll bring the bill."

"Thanks." Netto thanked.

Hinoken brought the bill. Netto took out his wallet and paid the exact amount: after Hinoken headed over to the counter, Netto's PET II beeped to indicate an incoming mail.

"I got a mail? Let's see… From: "Unknown". That's a first. Subject: "See Inside"… Funny… Text: " I – SEE – YOU – HIKARI - NETTO – AND – HIKARI SAITO – I – AM – YOU – KNOW – WHO"… A~H!"

Netto fell backwards with the chair and hit the ground.

"What the hell!" Hinoken gasped.

He was panting heavily, his eyes looked shocked and his face was devoid of color: large drops of sweat covered his face.

"Oi, Netto!"

"T-t-that… g-g-guy…!"

His voice was dry and trembling: he was clearly suffering PSTD symptoms again.

"He… he… is… alive… after… all…" He muttered.

He suddenly lost consciousness, leaving Hinoken in panic.

"By all the… Oi! Elec! Call an ambulance! NOW! I don't like the look of this!" He yelled at his associate.

"_My God!_ I'm on it! Hello? Is this Akihara Hospital? We need an ambulance at Maha Ichiban's… There's a customer who has suddenly lost consciousness! O-okay! We'll be waiting!" Count Elec could be heard saying.

They failed to spot Karasu, who'd apparently paid by now, and was about to leave: he gasped and ran out into the car where Mori was at: he drew a cell – phone.

"Mr. Denpa, sir? Eh… Mr. Hikari was at the curry shop and he suddenly lost consciousness…"

"Damn. So they'll have to bring him to the hospital… But I know the perfect man to get us the info." Mr. Denpa muttered.

"Dr. Lartes?" Agent Karasu assumed.

"Chut! Agent Karasu! Use more discretion!" Mr. Denpa grumbled.

"I'm sorry, sir!" He gulped.

Mori gave him a death glare: if the line had been unprotected then someone could've gotten a hold of the name.

"I'll let it slip this time!" Mr. Denpa grumbled.

He finished the call in an abrupt manner and Agent Karasu gulped while Agent Mori tapped the door's inner handle with his left hand's middle finger to show that he was rather annoyed.

"I'm sorry, really!" Karasu pleaded.

"… Let's go the hospital and stay nearby. And be careful!"


	14. Chapter 14: He is alive

**Chapter 14: He is alive**

22:12 PM (Japan Time), Monday July the 2nd…

"… Huh… Ugh… Guh…"

… _Netto - kun! Answer me! Netto - kun!_

_Ugh… Saito… niisan?_

_At last! I've been trying to reach you for about two hours!_

_Two… hours…? _

_What happened back there? I was not paying attention, for once. I thought I shouldn't be looking what's going on around you while you eat._ Saito admitted.

_Niisan… that guy… that guy… is… _alive… He was trying to explain.

"_That guy" is? Do you mean Shirakami?_ Saito sounded confused.

_No! I mean the one who programmed Shirakami in the first place! _Netto corrected.

THAT GUY_! _Netto could feel the angst in his brother's voice.

_Remember! They never found _That Guy! _And with these new developments… We'd almost forgotten… _He trailed off.

… _And how did you know? _Saito sounded really worried.

_I received an anonymous e- mail. It said that he was watching both of us! And if it wasn't enough… He signed using our taboo!_ He explained.

_The "You-know-who" we picked up from _Harry Potter_? Damn! _He hissed.

_The sick bastard didn't have enough… _He was in panic, truth to be told: his feeling of safety had been crushed.

_You should try to wake up; Papa's dead worried about you._ Saito suggested.

_Papa's here? _He found it curious.

_Yeah. Hinoken phoned him. _Saito explained.

Netto blinked and looked around to find out that he was in a hospital's room, lying on the bed.

_Damn. I always end up in here. It's a constant reminder of the crises I get myself into._

"Netto!" His father embraced him: he'd been sitting in a chair next to the bed.

"Papa…" He didn't know what to say.

"I saw the mail. We're working on finding out where _he_ is." Yuuichirou told him.

"But… Not even Blues and Enzan could take _that guy_ on!" Netto protested.

"I know: but we want to make sure we can keep you safe. If he dares to move out, we'll know it." His father told him.

"It won't be easy, Papa…" He sighed with obvious frustration on his voice and sounded unsure of it.

"But if that Omega comes into the picture then…"

"Oh. I hadn't thought of that!" Netto realized.

"I'm sure that his abilities would make the guy fear him! In fact… Remember how all encounters they had during the "Crisis" the bastard had to end up running away…"

"True… I remember!"

"So? Not all is lost."

"You're right, Papa… I let fear get a hold of me." He sighed.

"And don't worry: we're making progress in our projects. We're going to push the "Vaccine Chip" as number one and the rest will wait."

"Alright… I'll try to sleep 'cause it's late… Night, Papa…"

22:33 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Sailing the seas goes the big bad bully~… Heh, heh!"

A figure was walking down a corridor while being largely hidden by the shade: a gleam of green and white emanated from them as they walked towards a door and opened it up.

"Yo and behold!"

Anyone would've been astounded at the decoration: there were several photos of Netto and Rock Man apparently taken during the "Nebula Crisis" judging some which showed Rock Man engaging "Darkloids" or "CF" Netto confronting them in the real world: there also were some stolen ones which were from a bit younger Netto and some secret photos of Saito as Rock Man before he was reunited with Netto: they all had some scribbling on the margins.

"Heh, heh, heh. I know I'm a weird guy, yeah. But both of them have so much _sex appeal_… Heh, heh, heh…"

The figure walked towards the middle of the room where a metal desk affixed to the ground and a computer installed on top of it was set: a high-speed color printer was attached to it as well.

"Come on! Wasn't it obvious? Mr. Narrator?"

The figure was illuminated by the glow of the LCD monitor: it had been known as "Gospel Shuryou", but now it was an empty robot shell which someone else inhabited: Forte.

"Heh, heh, heh. Let's check the mailing mails of mail."

He was typing into the computer and observing some data: he found out that he had received a mail from Shirakami.

_Shirakami approached me a while ago and we gladly became buddies. I liked how he'd developed his own personality as a good sadist and a fellow S&M fan. He's told me how he's played with both of them using the horse - sama and he's even improved over me. And besides, I still find it amusing that because his name was brought up… _

He made a little giggle under his breath.

_That triggered some repressed memories of the so-called "Crisis". The resulting chain reaction kept him in a coma-like status for about four days… Anyway… A good villain always has a colleague, so we're cooperating to carry out a grand scheme… I know it lacks originality but whatever: it'll be cool enough!_ Forte inwardly grinned.

He double clicked on the message icon and the email's text was displayed onscreen.

"… Hum! "Forte, I've found out a hitch. We need something to make that babe gain energy, and the only thing I can think of is "Cross Fusion" Rock Man. However, _I _am using Saito's body, so "Cross Fusion" isn't possible anymore. Can ya think of something else? Shirakami."… Crap."

Forte grumbled something under his breath and leaned back on the chair, bringing a hair to his chin (the robot body's one).

_Hmmm… Wait… I have an idea… But… I gave him life! And then I take it away? Nah. He's too competent. And it's way funnier with two. No. Erase that idea. There must some other way around… I wouldn't mind the two of us playing together with both of them… But we firstly must find a way to make the scheme proceed…_

He turned around to glance at the photos and giggled under his breath as he brought up photos which showed Netto and Saito in that S&M gear lying in a bed with Saito atop Netto as connected by a chain on their collars: Netto's cock was going inside of Saito's ass while Forte was also raping his ass: Netto had a vibrator stuffed into his ass too.

"Hmmm… That March day was so juicy~… And I've prepared a nice place which will become a true S&M dungeon one day… We'll bring them in and they'll have to endure all the arts we've prepared there… But that'll come later so let's focus on the project… Gotta find another way to power up those machines… At least this isn't like the "S" project… That thing's scary enough and I hope no – one uses it ever…"

_Hikari Netto, Rock Man! You'll become OUR sex slaves! Heh, heh, heh, heh!_

23:44 PM (Japan Time)...

"… Huff."

It was late night and Netto was having trouble sleeping while on his hospital bed.

_This place gives me a bad feeling for some reason or another,_

"Hikari Netto…" A voice called out.

He blinked and tried to shake the sleepiness off him.

_What? Is there someone here? It can't be: visiting hours have already ended. _Netto thought, looking around.

"Hikari Netto…" The voice called out again.

He turned his head to the right and had to contain a gasp: Zero was on his PET II's screen.

"Zero?" He whispered.

"I heard what happened." He sounded concerned.

"Oh." He sighed.

"I'm afraid I have bad news."

"I already guessed he's…" He began, but Zero cut him off.

"They're working together." Zero let out.

Netto sat up violently and choked.

"I'm sorry if I startled you. But you deserve to know…" He did sound repented.

"It's… okay... Zero… I was afraid of it…"

He laid himself on the bed and turned his head towards the right to look at the PET's screen.

"I am, too. However! They won't be able to accomplish their scheme easily." He sighed.

"What do those two… _psychos_… have in mind? Are they gonna steal a Kiowa Warrior, after all?" Netto asked: he was suspecting it wouldn't be anything good.

"No. It has nothing to do with military weapons. They plan on covering the entire world in a "Dimensional Area" and make the "Darkloids" rule the surface. The Ameroupe Army thing was because the machine which they need is owned by them. And Regal's "Regal Tower" is so sabotaged that it'll most likely never be completed to begin with. That's why they went for this alternate approach." He explained.

"It sounds very simple. Just using another device to start up that "Dimensional Area" instead of Regal's own "Regal Tower" wherever that thing's supposed to be hidden at…" Netto had thought it'd be something more complicated.

"Yet… They need a very powerful energy source to power the huge equipment. The facility has some because it works with a predecessor of the "Dimensional Generator" which has had to be upgraded with current technology after 20 years of abandonment… They don't need any "Converters"…" Zero explained.

"And let me guess… Rock Man's "Ultimate Program"?" Netto guessed.

"That's it, in part."

"And what's the other part?"

"They need you two to perform "Cross Fusion" and they'd then suck off your power." Zero let out.

"Heh. That's not possible anymore." He smiled, for once.

"That's their drawback. However…"

"However…?" He thought there'd be more bad news.

"You know the tanker rumor? It isn't a rumor."

"I half - expected it to… Wait… Don't tell me that_ that guy_ is using it as a mobile base!" Netto realized.

"I'm afraid so."

"That's how he managed to elude everyone…" He sounded angry.

"That's exactly it. By the way… You don't have to hide it: I know about Rock Man being your elder twin brother."

"Who told you that?" He asked.

"Mr. Sponsor. He admitted that he has a special connection with you two, but wouldn't give me details." Zero replied before asking.

"By the way… Have you ever seen him in person?"

"I have. Once or twice, I went to his mainframe. I then use a camera to talk directly with him. However, he was always half in the shade. I could only see from half the torso downwards." Zero explained.

"Hum. Hides their face… And you sure he isn't just plotting to get rid of the competency?" Netto suddenly sounded paranoid.

"I'm absolutely sure he isn't. Besides… Those enigmatic people haven't hurt you two. Right? In fact… The man who answers to the codename of Mr. Denpa teaches self-defense to both of you. Isn't that right? And their Navis have been trying to help you back during the "Crisis"… Aren't those convincing enough for you, Hikari Netto?"

"When you put it that way…"

"If any more "Darkloids" dare to show their hides around, I'll tell 'em they're fired." Zero joked.

"Heh, heh! They'd deserve it!" Netto grinned.

"Sure. Stay healthy."

Zero became some blocks of data which spun around anti-clockwise and then vanished in some vertical streams of data: Netto whistled at the effect and grinned.

"Cool! He's got a different special effect!"

_Sure. He looks cool._

23:51 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Alright, Brad!"

"Blood."

"Brand."

"Blood."

"Vlad."

"Blood!"

"Brat!"

"Blood!"

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… Did the reinforcements arrive? Or they missed the 11:11 PM express from Moscow?"

"Dunno. Check it out in some random forum."

Blood Shadow was sitting in a room's floor along with Sigma who was pulling jokes on him: he'd removed the shotgun and helmet to reveal reddish hair and a youthful face which surely wasn't even 13: his eyes' irises were red and golden and he currently looked slightly annoyed at Sigma's jokes: both were playing with a GameCube plugged at a TV.

"Mwah, hah, hah. I'll score higher than you! My Wario and Koppa tag-combo blows all other guys away! _Mario Kart: Double Dash_ is good to disconnect from the stress of a day spent fighting Burner Man, Cold Man, Bright Man and Spark Man!"

"Yeah, I'm using Luigi and Yoshi because they're middle-weighted guys and such have further maneuver capability."

"Let's see if we can find the tanker soon!"

"We should check out any computers Regal had and the unmanned satellite too… The reason he was after "Control X" in February was because it's the only thing which could detect the stealth-equipped satellite… Shadow Man noticed that too…"

"And that was thanks to his obscure arts! _Avada kedavra_!"

"Sure, sure."

"And this autumn the _Goblet of Fire_ movie comes out! And in two weeks' time from now… The 6th book: _The Half-Blood Prince_! Let's see who'll be Dark Arts teacher this time around… That subject sure is cursed! First it was Professor Quirrel, Voldemort's host, who ended up dead. Then we had that Gilderoy Lockhart wannabe who stole all he knew from others and had them forget it… Using Weasley's half-broken wand a spell backfires on him and he forgets all… Then Remus Lupin who ended up in one piece but due to his werewolf condition he was forced to resign and quit the post… 4th year was that Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody guy who'd been replaced by that "Death Eater"… And lastly, two years ago, on the 5th year, we had that ugly witch… Dolores Umbridge… That envoy of the stupid Ministry of Magic who won't admit reality 'cause they were all cursed by Steve Jobs' "reality distortion field"!" He listed before coming up with a joke at the end.

"Hah, hah. How original, Sigma."

"Man! Why do ya have to be so dry?"

"You're supposed to have a mental age of about 18 or 20. Like Commander Omega. Why can't you try to be more serious like Commander Omega is?" Blood Shadow sighed.

"Dunno! Jobs' reality distortion field is at work!"

"Lovely."

"Ain't it, Bloody~ Shadowy~?"

"Ask Lovely Man. If there's one to begin with. If not suggest to DC Comics to see if they come up with one."

"That'd be cool! The Adventures of Lovely Man: a Modern 21st Century Hero! Heh, heh, heh! That'd be a best-seller! Say bye to Spider and Bat and Super and the whole club! Heh, heh, heh!"

"Oh come on."

"There! Goal! Hooray!"

"5 seconds late. I'm 1st."

"Aw man! I'm 2nd."

"But at least you can continue into the next circuit. Playing at 150cc is hard, very hard, and challenging…" Blood Shadow calmly shrugged and wasn't impressed.

"Sure is, Mr. Kart Man!"

"Invent that."

"Sure! Let's invent the Leakage Man!"

"And Spoiler Man while you're at it… Wait. No, no. There's a girl in Batman who is named "Spoiler" although she has no special abilities: she just wants to make a difference." Blood Shadow grinned.

"Aw man! They got ahead of me. Clever guys! Hah, hah, hah! They're so clever that their brains boil the whole time~! Mwah, hah, hah! Boil boiling of boilers!"

"Sigma. Shut up." Omega suddenly opened the door and popped the head into the room while looking far from pleased.

"Yikes! Commander Omega, sir! I apologize, sir."

"Act like a man and not a big cocky bully."

SLAM!

"Man. He still hasn't gotten over that of Cold Man… Commander Omega can sure have long-lasting grudges when he feels like it."

"See? I told you nothing good would come outta that, Sigma."

"Man. I always get into trouble 'cause Ms. Trouble is jealous I try to pick ya as my buddy instead of her…" He improvised some joke.

"Hah, hah. Look how funny you are, Sigma. Now focus on the race."

_I hope he stops pulling jokes soon too!_


	15. Chapter 15: The revelation

**Chapter 15: The revelation**

18:04 PM (Japan Time), Tuesday July the 3rd…

"… Man. I just had to forget the umbrella…"

Netto was the last student remaining in the gym: he was still in his sports clothes and could see rain coming down through the windows: he was sitting in one of the benches, looking thoughtful.

_I don't care anymore if Yamato – sensei keeps secrets: he's here to help me know how to defend myself. However…_

Looking around distractedly, he spotted a practice dummy.

"Huh…"

He walked towards it and stared at it for some seconds: he narrowed his eyes and a grimace suddenly formed on his face.

"HRA~H!"

He started to punch it all of a sudden: he delivered combo after combo, kick after kick, and attack after attack.

"EAT THIS! THIS! AND THIS! AND THIS TOO!"

He kept at it for about fifteen minutes before sitting back on the bench, exhausted and sweating: he had his eyes closed and looked like he'd been able to shake a lot of pressure off him.

"Huff!"

_Eh… Hum… What was that for, Netto - kun?_ Saito asked, surprised.

_You see, niisan, if we stumble upon_ that guy_, this is what I'm going to do to that guy_. Netto replied.

_Scary… I didn't know you could get so violent…_

… _Niisan. Remember how that guy ruined our lives. That guy will do anything to keep us forever trapped in angst. It's time we broke free of that guy's grasp. _Netto explained.

_To take such a resolve… You've really matured, Netto - kun…_ Saito sounded proud of it.

… _Thanks… _Netto thanked.

_It's nothing._

"Netto – san?" Enkada's rough voice filled the air, making Netto snap back at reality.

Netto looked at his back to see that his instructor had already changed back.

"Ah… Yamato – _sensei_." He greeted.

"Why are you still here?" He sounded surprised.

"I forgot my umbrella, _sensei_." He admitted.

"Oh. You could've told me! The gym's got many spare umbrellas. You should change back and… Odd. I don't remember having left the dummy in such a state…"

The man walked over to the dummy and Netto took the chance to slip out of the room: although the man noticed it, he made no sound, no movement: if one could look at his face, he could see him smiling with a sad expression on his eyes.

_Huh… Hikari Netto… He's resolved to give the one that ruined his and his brother's lives a lesson, to get at him, to show him all the pain they have to hold back… He's matured, and if he works together with his_ _brother, they ought to accomplish it…_

"Huh… Yamato – sensei? Where could I find a spare umbrella?"

"They're in the lobby, Netto – san." He pointed towards it.

"Thanks, Yamato – sensei."

"I have no problem if you want to do a bit of extra practicing, but you should tell me first, Netto – san." He instructed.

"A-alright. I'm sorry, _sensei_… I'm going back… _Sayounara_!"

21:21 PM (Japan Time)…

"…So! Like this…"

Netto was working with the computer after dinner while wearing his set of bluish pajamas: he was looking at the posts in a forum about rumors and gossips.

_So! By using this program I can track the MAC addresses of the devices the posters of this forum use to access the Internet and then learn their physical locations after checking them up with their ISPs? _He asked Saito.

_Yeah. And since we're using an encryption protocol which we've self-made, no _amateur_ can trace us. I know it's not totally legal, but we want to get to the bottom of this. _Saito replied.

Netto merely nodded in agreement and scrolled down the posts: one post made by someone named "V_001" got his attention.

"Hum! … "It isn't good to speculate wildly. One must have a solid basis before engaging into guessing or speculation. Just because some concept art for an upcoming game has been officially released, you can't just guess "It's gonna be like that" or something along those lines. It's always better to wait and hold yourself back until there's solid evidence coming from an official source. I do hope this advice helps people who get misled and build up false expectations due to that."… True, true!"

_This person has a fancy nickname_…_ I should rather say it looks like a serial number… Does he believe himself to be a robot? People can have crazy complexes nowadays…_

_They sure do. However, the "V" letter must hold a meaning in my opinion. Serial numbers tend to include letters which mean something._ Saito suggested.

Netto nodded in agreement and used the program to perform a trace route and try to find out the physical MAC address which this user employed to get into the Internet and where he was posting from.

"TRACING ROUTE…"

_What in the..! This MAC Address is taking forever! They don't take more than a minute in normal circumstances… It's going through several routers and now it seems to be using a communications satellite uplink/downlink as well…! Satellite-provided Wi-Fi? _Netto thought as he looked at the screen.

Then, another unbelievable thing happened: the diagram which displayed the Earth globe and the satellite had a straight line which connected Japan and the satellite: a line made of dashes came out of the satellite and stopped in a spot labeled with a "?" mark: the mark itself was quickly circling and the diagram suddenly vanished to be replaced by a message.

"… ERROR. UNABLE TO TRACE MAC ADDRESS. NO PHYSICAL LOCATION FOUND. TRACE ROUTE ERROR."

_That mark…! It came _out_ of the satellite and then gets lost trying to pick off something which is moving around Earth! And it didn't seem to be another satellite: it wouldn't have any trouble trace routing it!_ Netto was stunned.

_You're not gonna tell me the guy was an ISS astronaut! _Saito was entirely baffled.

_No: there's no Japanese astronaut aboard the ISS right now! I'm sure it'd been announced if it were the case!_ Netto argued.

_Wait! What did Zero say…? …That Mr. Sponsor was in something akin to a private space station_… _He told us about the satellite "Nebula" owned and which is still up there…_ _He must've been talking about this! And this is why he signaled the sky…! This V_001 must be THE Mr. Sponsor! _Saito argued.

_Holy…! There's a spacecraft out there and no-one has reported anything about it? How's that possible? Just WHO is this guy? No private company has been able to build such a thing before! Building an unmanned giant station is one thing and such but this… _ Netto was totally impressed.

_Well! Maybe it has some kind of camouflage which hides it from sight and radar! Try breaking into the system: we need to confirm this! _Saito rallied.

_Okay! I'm decided! _

When making contact with it on its next orbit, his program stumbled upon a powerful-looking firewall.

_It's time to use our pets. _Saito announced.

Netto typed into the PC and brought up photos of different Virus species: he grinned.

_We secretly picked them from Science Labs quarantines and made it look like a "Darkloid" had set them loose! They will be useful._

_Sure. Program some fake MACs and ISPs responses and lead them to Alaska for a summer tour. Once that'd done then… Let's get the system index and it will be enough to grasp the structure of it: something tells me Mr. Sponsor doesn't like people breaking through his firewall. _Saito instructed.

_Roger._

Some Mettools managed to send the system index through the connection and Netto confirmed its safe reception: he used the Mettools as "eyes" to observe the inside of the mainframe: a holographic globe of the Earth could be seen in the middle of a large plaza along with several sealed doorways.

_It'd seem like it is saying this: I'm the Big Brother._ Netto guessed, chuckling under his breath.

_Yeah. Let's be ready to cut off at any moment._ Saito reminded him.

In fact, Netto had already typed the "EXIT" command into the command prompt and was about to press "ENTER".

_The program will cease functioning and any attempt to follow the connection would lead them to a dummy spot in Alaska! Heh!_

One doorway opened and the three Navis ran out of them, looking like they'd just woken up from sleeping to deal with this emergency.

"This ain't the work of these Viruses: a hacker is behind them!" Omega told the other two.

"Please go ahead, Commander Omega! We shall take care of them." Blood Shadow announced in a polite manner.

"Indeed, sir! We'll tell these guys that they're fired!" Sigma added with a hint of amusement.

Netto had seen enough, so he hit the "ENTER" key and the program immediately ceased its activity and closed: he leant backwards on the chair, still amazed at their discovery.

_Heh, heh! Open the file: I'm eager to see what kind of system we've just hacked! _Saito eagerly rallied.

_I'm on it!_ Netto grinned.

He inputted some commands and managed to open the file which had a list of the users:

V_001: VADOUS

V_002: LARTES

V_003: KIR OSH

V_004: DARATSU

V_005: KURO KAZE

V_006: OMEGA

V_007: DRAGON HELL

V_008: BLOOD SHADOW

V_010: SIGMA

"… Huh… So, V_001 is someone named Vadous… He must be Mr. Sponsor. And the "V" must come from his name since he's the Boss."

_Yeah. The other names look curious. It'd seem Omega has been registered before Blood Shadow and Sigma… We ought to go sleep and we'll look at it tomorrow._ Saito suggested.

_Sure! Good night, Saito – niisan! The Hacker's Night is a success!_

21:43 PM (Japan Time)…

"… So… Boss. Did you find out what they took and from where did they operate?"

Omega was speaking with the man named Vadous inside of a rather unlit room which seemed to have the shape of a dome: a catwalk shaped like a trapeze aiming south served as "ground" and there was a large rotating black chair set there.

The chair had a purple "V" painted behind its body and it was built upon a circle cut in the ground.

A console having several buttons, levers, LEDs, LCD displays, indicators and a built-in keyboard plus mouse pad was set in front of the chair: three large LCD monitors had been set above it and one displayed a world map while the other two showed blueprints for something.

"They took the system index. That means a list of _everything_. Directories, subdirectories, system directories, user accounts… And as from where… Huh?" He stopped typing, clearly surprised.

"What's wrong, Boss?" Omega asked as he looked at the LCD screen as well.

"The origin point…! The forsaken island! It can't be a coincidence!"

"What? The forsaken island, you say? You don't mean the infamous…" He got the idea.

"Yeah. I mean the infamous Death Island."

"Then… Does that mean…" He had a suspect in mind.

"It could be Forte. Remember: the last time we got a position of his mobile base he was in the Fox Archipelago."

"We'll need to be ready for a sortie. We should be glad Shadow Moses Island is fictional and there are no old nukes the guy can pick."

"Huh! Sure, Omega, sure… But you never know those military guys: get ready to explore the place tomorrow… But how did they find me?"

09:19 AM (Japan Time), Wednesday July the 4th…

"… Fua~h… Huh? Netto – kun yielded to me… Well."

Saito blinked several times and slowly awoke: he realized Netto had yielded to him today but he didn't protest and sat up, yawning and stretching.

"Let's wash the face."

He climbed out of the bed and headed into the bathroom to wash his face: he then walked back inside of the bedroom and sat down in front of the computer to have a look at the data from yesterday.

_Hmmm… There's Skype… Cisco Packet Tracer… Emulators… Medical articles… Gaming articles… _Ninja_ history articles… Texts about Confucius… Battle Chip bulletins… Net Battle strategies… Sword strategies… Stock market data… New York Times webpage subscription… C.A… Wait. What is this "C.A." thing? Huh? There's a folder with a Word Document inside?_

Saito had been checking the diverse contents only to spot this folder and its document so he opened it: there was an emblem on the upper right edge of the file.

"Wow."

The emblem was a grey circle with the yellow letters "CA" stamped, and, behind it, several rows of soldiers, planes, tanks and ships could be seen aligned to form rows: the words "Council of Armies" were written along the rim of the logo in a yellow color as well.

"_Council of Armies"?"Gunmyou Kigai"? I've never heard about such a thing before… Then again, I'm not an expert in paramilitary organizations… _

While looking at it, he recognized the words "Member List: 2005" even thought it was written in English.

CA_001: DR. PIERRE SPIMER

CA_002: MR. RICHARD RICKHEM

CA_003: HERR KOUNT KAMIEL SERBAUF

CA_004: MESSIEUR LE COUNT FRANÇOIS DE RIVALOU

CA_005: GENERAL JAMES HAWK

CA_006: MS. JESSICA ARGAD

CA_007: MR. VADOUS [SEE NOTE #4]

_Hmmm… According to the document, they administer a PMC and all members contribute with a monetary donation to it… I know they're on the rise to act in "sensible" territories where nations cannot officially intervene. The UN seems to be worried by their rise and their methods: they see them as a way for mercenaries to come out into the open with a public disguise but being just mercenaries…_ Saito thought about it.

_Why don't you check that note about that Mr. Vadous?_ Netto suddenly suggested.

Saito activated the "search" function of the document and soon accessed the paragraph with the note.

_The other notes are but budget, providers and materials overseeing and don't concern us, really._

"Hum! Here it is! … "NOTE #4: CONCERNING MR. VADOUS' MEMBERSHIP"… Alright… "Mr. Vadous has disbanded his robot army after three years. He then exposed some rather shocking truths to me, Dr. Spimer, head and founder of the Council and all the other members. Apparently, _That Person_ was mocking us all this time, their true character not being a defender of equal rights between men and women. _That Person_ has now been removed from the lists of economical associates. _That Person_ was arrested and imprisoned along with its accomplices. Mr. Vadous exposed that the reason he'd had a mechanical army in the first place had been because of _That Person_ and its grip on his economy."… It's gotta be that "IQ" that "Nebula Grey" jerk boasted about… Anyway… "He has declared that he desired to dismiss himself from the council. All of us asked him to remain, as an advisor. He could see things we couldn't. He agreed to it. Although he is listed as a member, he no longer supplies the backup troops for our PMC. He's a consultant for various topics."… Wow!"

_Check out the bottom too._

"Hum! "Date: March the 2nd, 2005" … "Signed: Dr. Pierre Spimer"… "END OF NOTE #4"…"

_Intriguing. So, Vadous - san was under IQ's extortion to create a robot army to be used instead of persons. He surely thought it turned war into something far more inhuman than it already is and this must be why he had that criminal be arrested plus that of the "Secret Empire". This can be another proof of his good intentions. Funny, though. This dates a few days after the Desert Man Incident and before the "Crisis"._ Saito reflected.

_It sure can. I now regret not trusting Zero._ Netto agreed on it.

_Hmmm… They've been around for a decade. They only create non-lethal equipment and always try to reduce the enemy's combat capacity before forcing them into retreat. They're not such bad people. Just who is Dr. Pierre Spimer? He sounds French…_ Saito reflected after reading a bit more.

_They say Frenchmen are very sharp._

A quick inquiry via Google led him to several articles translated from French to English which dated almost a decade ago.

_Hmmm… This man had been labeled as a "dreamer" in Paris University because he argued that carbon chemistry could allow for the creation of both resistant and easily mass-produced alloys for military equipment which also makes them somewhat lighter. He was not paid much attention and he only managed to find one anonymous supporter to his thesis. However, seeing how everyone laughed at it, he quit the University. It's no wonder._ Saito reflected after reading them.

_Yeah. Inventors are always labeled as "dreamers" but they then contribute enormously to society. _Netto agreed on it.

_Hmmm… He spent some years off the radar and then appeared on the Ameroupe Army. It'd seem he managed to make those materials come to be a reality and was allowed to test them on old equipment: when it was proven that they worked perfectly and could resist way more than usual materials could, they began to implement it. _

_Heh! See? He was right after all!_

_He made a fortune outta it before he quit that place, too, and headed off the radar again._ Saito thought as he read the info.

_What happened afterwards?_

_He's apparently started some kind of group or syndicate named "Cypher", but no-one knows exactly what they're supposed to do or where they're supposed to be at._ Saito finished reading.

_He also founded this Council of Armies, too. He must be very busy having to handle both things. _Netto commented.

_As far as I know, Steve Jobs – san also is both President of Apple and President of Pixar. It must be something similar._ Saito suggested a comparison.

His stomach suddenly growled to remind him that he hadn't had breakfast yet.

_Well! Prepare a CD backup of this and go have breakfast while it's being written._ Netto suggested.

_Yeah. I'm on it_.

Saito picked a rewritable CD and selected the files which he wanted to "burn" into the CD: he stood up and headed out of the bedroom to go have breakfast.

"Morning, Mama!"

"Oh! Good morning, Saito, dear. Today's a perfect summer day compared to yesterday's downpour… The air feels fresh too!"

Saito smiled and began to prepare his breakfast while Haruka flipped through the daily newspapers: Saito sat on the table.

"_Itadakimasu_~!"

"By the way, Saito… You should be ready! Roll – chan might pick you."

Saito suddenly blushed and Haruka giggled at her own teasing move…

14:14 PM (Anchorage Time), Tuesday July the 3rd…

"… Heh! This reminds me of Shadow Moses Island. Whatever. Let's pick what we wanted."

Forte's robot body entered a metallic room somewhere: it was huge, at least ten meters high and twenty wide.

A huge rusted-steel-made cylinder covered all the height of the room and it had many wires linked to it, along with many screens and keyboards: a maze of catwalks was built around it and they were interlinked by stairs.

"Reminds me of REX's hanger… Whatever."

Forte climbed until he reached the top and spotted a Plug-In port: he put his hands over it and some wires sprouted out and connected to the circuit: he then entered the shut down system.

"Ta-dan."

The Cyber World was unlit and many pieces of the ground were either cracked or missing: there was a small light coming from further on, though, so he walked towards it and examined a white sphere: it seemed to be a powerful program.

_Heh. It was a good idea to look up military stuff. By picking five of these, we can save ourselves the problem of how to have Hikari Netto and Rock Man have to perform "Cross Fusion". This is the fourth of five._

He took out a data cube and used a compression algorithm to make the program occupy less memory space: he stored it and then decided to open his line with Shirakami.

"Hello? Shirakami? This is Forte. I've got the fourth. How are things in your end?" He asked.

"Forte! You should get out of there ASAP!"

"Why?" He was surprised at the nervous voice tone.

"Well! 'Cause I'm detecting three distinct Navi signatures within the system. They're powerful… Them! The trio!" His partner explained.

"Shit!"

He quickly logged out and returned into the body: he ran towards the underground dock where he'd docked a canoe with an overboard engine attached to its body.

"There!"

He jumped into it and kicked the engine on: he sped away, and none a second too sooner, because, five seconds later, an almost invisible "Dimensional Area" surrounded the building.

_Whoa. I'd never seen a "Dimensional Area" pop out just like that! And I don't feel any "Dimensional Converters", either! Whoever is behind it must've improved it! They must've come up with their own "Dimensional Generator" too! _He inwardly whistled in surprise.

"Forte? You alright…?"

"Somewhat. It was a very close thing. These guys seem to have their own "Dimensional Generator" device too."

"Lovely." He grumbled in annoyance.

"Ain't it?"

"Whatever. Get back to the facility: we need to talk face-to-face about the next steps we gotta undergo."

"The 39 steps?"

"What?"

"Kidding ya~…" He giggled.

"I thought you were supposed to be serious. And don't try to fuck me either just because I look like Saito. That's our deal!"

"Sure, sure. I'll save up by the time they restore the guy's frame. It'll be more juicy and exquisite~… Heh, heh, heh, heh!"

"Whatever. Just get your hide over here ASAP. We need to figure out how we're gonna stand up to these guys!"

10:27 AM (Japan Time), Wednesday July the 4th…

"… Boss? This is Omega. It seems that we missed him by a matter of _seconds_."

"Blast! Is anything missing in there?"

Vadous was sitting on the armchair and looking at the main screen where a close-up of Omega's face was being displayed.

"The power program that is used to energize the supercomputer was stolen." Omega reported.

"Damn. I suspected as much. They wouldn't waste time in trying to go with the original idea, since there was no way of accomplishing it. They just need an equivalent power source… Come back."

Vadous typed some commands into the computer, which showed a satellite image of the island, and the "Dimensional Area" field vanished: some steps could be heard coming from behind him.

"Lartes?"

The newcomer was a person about the same height.

He also was half – hidden, but he could be seen wearing a white lab coat, a shirt, brown pants and shoes.

His face was hidden.

"Yeah. Looks like we've been fooled, Boss…"

"Huh? You mean the hacker?" He was intrigued.

"Yeah. It didn't originate from Death Island: that was a pathway he set up to cover his retreat. But I found out how they traced us all the way up here." Lartes explained.

"Where was the origin?"

"Sokan Boards. It'd seem everyone suffered a MAC lookup and physical spot lookup. But that was all. Something tells me that the hacker ended up finding that this was no ordinary place when trying to track us."

"I agree with that analysis. I'll have a look at it later. You may go. It'd seem I'll have to stop posting there." Vadous told him.

"Okay. I'll be at the lab." Lartes replied.

"Hmmm… If I could find who it was, I could try to recruit his or her services. A good hacker could help me find out if Shirakami and Forte are scheming something regarding the twins." He muttered while sounding like he had an idea on mind.

"Alright."

"Yo! Boss! We found a pitiful ghost there~!" Sigma reported as he showed up behind Omega's right shoulder.

"Oh yeah? Whose ghost…?" Vadous was far from impressed.

"Shackleton's grandson!" He laughed.

"Don't tell me."

"Shaddup." Omega snapped.

"Yikes! Commander Omega, sir…!"

"SHADDUP!"

"R-roger, sir…"

"Omega. Let's not start it again: the annoyance from March is resurfacing this time around? Why the heck are you the type to hold long-lasting grudges? That's not good, you know." Vadous sighed.

"HMPF!"

"Oh come on. Gimme a break, Omega. I'm you CO, remember?"

"Yeah. But I'm who I am." He folded his arms.

"Oh boy…" Vadous sounded rather exasperated by now.

"Sigma! You! Walking disaster! Get back to the HQ NOW!"

"Yikes! Commander Omega, sir… Be reasonable, sir…!"

11:04 AM (Japan Time)…

"… This time around…!"

"Be quiet, Blues."

"There they come…!"

Blues was lying in wait somewhere in the Cyber World and spotted "Chaos" (or, rather, Zero) walking past while wearing the cloak: a cyber cage suddenly sprang up and closed him inside of it while Blues came out of hiding behind a wall.

"ID yourself."

"Blues, huh."

"You've heard of me."

"Shouldn't you be worried about the "Darkloids" instead of chasing down paranoia? Tell me how smart that's supposed to be to begin with: you're underestimating Shirakami." He grumbled.

"ID yourself."

"Fine~… You annoying guy~…"

He tossed the cloak and Blues gasped: Zero folded his arms and directed what could be an annoyed glare at him.

"Name's Zero. And if you want to know about me read the Akihara Port Town Net Police's report on the "Professor"… Point is: Omega's Boss requested of me to supply him with info and that's what I've been doing insofar. Shirakami's met up with Forte."

"Oh hell."

"And they're plotting to spawn a worldwide "Dimensional Area" so that they can create some terror and fear… Apart from letting the "Darkloids" to run free unchecked… You've yet to meet Star Man, Sword Man and Gravity Man… And let me warn you: Gravity Man's a floating nightmare on its own without the need of any power-ups." He warned him.

"R-really?"

"Look on."

He activated a holographic screen displaying a "Darkloid" fighting a squad of Security Navis.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… Gravity Man has been granted orders… To delete… To delete…"

Gravity Man had a more machine-like appearance to him: his main body was a spheroid split in two with both halves hovering into the air at a short distance between them: his main color was red.

The upper half had a large brownish circular band with short vertical stripes on them as if to mark the boundary between each segment: two cylinders came out from behind the upper half and they had that same circular rotating band on them.

The face was shaped like a dome: four square white teeth which didn't look they could move were set on the lower edge while two brown triangles pointing SW and SE were set on the face.

His eyes were round, yellow in color and they produced a yellow flash in the form of the Alphabet "X" character.

The top part of the head had two circular metallic pieces set one atop the other and two antennae – like extensions as well.

The lower body had a white lower-half-of-a-circle drawing with a small vertical stripe dividing it in two: a white circle with a red arrow was aiming at the SE and it looked like an indicator of something: the body also had that brown rotating band on the upper edge.

His arms were detached from the body and hovered close to the lower edge of the body: they included the shoulders which were metallic gray plus a round white edge aiming NW: the segment inside of that was colored in a brownish color.

The arms and forearms were shaped like two cone-like bases with two round rotating brown bands on the middle section.

These claws ended in three metallic claw-like extensions.

The final part to be seen were three metallic pieces which diminished in size as they stepped downwards: the third segment had a pyramidal-like end.

"Gravity Drive."

A shaft of gravitational anomaly formed in front of him as his indicator spun towards the right: the Navis were glued to the ground and then Gravity Man opened the eyes to display brownish dots which looked rather amused.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh…"

He then lifted his arms and the Navis were sent flying until they hit the "ceiling" of the shaft: he lowered his arms and they met the ground but not even two seconds later Gravity Man lifted them again.

"Escaping from the Gravitational Hell is impossible."

"By all the…" Blues cursed.

"See my point? Shouldn't you worry about what would you in that spot than about what I do?" Zero argued.

"G-guess so."

He turned off the cage and Zero fumed: he signaled the display again and he spotted how Zero crept into Gravity Man from above and behind to land atop his head and hit it with a blade he'd formed on the right arm which looked slightly customized but not that different from a Long Sword: Gravity Man yelped as he swung his arms inwards to make two groups of security Navis collide with each other mid-air.

"Enemies are… meaningless. Meaningless!"

"You're the meaningless jerk. Go back to your castle and try to rewrite the laws of physics in Wikipedia." Zero had taunted the guy.

Gravity Man yelped and then retreated: Zero shut down the screen and then folded his arms while glaring at Blues.

"Convinced?"

"Too much." Enzan muttered.

"So! Tell your bosses they don't have to worry about me but about that mole thing. Use a Stone Cube or a similar object to collapse the gravitational barrier he uses to deflect projectiles and repel attempts for close-quarters combat." He told them.

"O-OK." Enzan gulped.

"No hard feelings, either. But maybe you've been too obsessed with chasing me and have forgotten to check on those guys: they've been causing some ruckuses in Western Europe too."

"Lovely." Blues slapped his face in defeat.

"We'll meet again. Don't bother to tell Hikari Netto: I already met with him and Rock Man. If they didn't tell you… That's because I requested them not to. But point is: I'm your ALLY. Gotcha?"

"Gotcha, yeah…"

Zero fumed and warped away: Enzan growled something undecipherable under his breath.

"We've been idiots, yeah. Now I know Laika will say I'm the idiot this time around. If only the guy tried to be more positive…"

"What should we do, Enzan – sama?"

"Report to Commissioner Kifune: what else? Let's hope he doesn't get too annoyed… And we should start to work on a strategy to deal with that Gravity Man guy…" Enzan rolled his eyes.

Blues nodded and came out just as someone slipped out of a hole in a wall: Bubble Man.

"Puku! Heh, heh, heh. So they're afraid of Gravity Man, puku. No wonder, de puku. But I heard good stuff, de puku. Let's tell Shade Man – sama, puku! Heh, heh, heh. Shade Man – sama will challenge the Rock Man imitator and win! Puku! The throne will be His! Heh, heh, heh, heh!"


	16. Chapter 16: Hacking away

**Chapter 16: Hacking away**

15:25 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Wow. Wow. And wow."

Saito was walking around the district to do some exercise and think about what they'd uncovered: he couldn't help but mutter aloud.

_Whoa. Someone has actually built a spaceship and keeps it hidden from the rest of the world… It almost sounds like a sci-fi movie!_

_Yeah. But we should wait some days before we try to fish around again, Netto – kun. Hopefully, they're now rather empty-handed 'cause there was nothing in Death Island… _Saito grinned.

He heard a sound coming from his PET II: he checked it out and found Zero to be inside.

"Oh! Zero! What's up?" Saito asked.

"Well. That Blues guy actually caught me, so I tossed away that disguise. I gave him an update and warned him regarding Gravity Man… I already showed you the footage of the guy." Zero summarized.

"Yeah. The guy's a mole, really. Do you know something else about the Evil Duo?" Saito asked of him.

"Yeah. They've given up on that idea of forcing you two to perform "Cross Fusion". They're now gathering energy-generating programs of the Ameroupe Army scattered around. You-know-who was at Death Island and picked the one there. He managed to run out just before the Dynamic Trio cornered him." Zero explained.

"That's a pity. I'd liked to see them cornering the guy. Omega was close to doing that in March but the guy kept on escaping away."

"Yeah, I remember. No-one is lucky forever.

"That's nice to hear." Saito smiled.

"I'm off. See ya. Maybe I'll soon bring good news along… Bye!"

01:44 AM (Honolulu Time)…

"… I'm telling you, Shirakami… That was no ordinary "Dimensional Area". It was almost invisible, and, normally "Dimensional Areas" are quite visible. And I found out that the signal came from space but it wasn't a reflection using a satellite like the Science Labs' new "Dimensional Generator" but shot directly from there to begin with… Almost as if they had their own space-station…"

"Whoa. That's a first."

Forte and Shirakami were standing inside the Cyber World of the giant "Dimensional Area" facility.

The area was a round room, wide and tall: the walls were filled with rust and cracks from the abandonment: there also were some pedestals holding the four programs, which were black at the moment, being switched off.

Shirakami suddenly frowned and brought up a data screen.

"Lemme check… OK! I've got it! Someone hacked a mainframe somewhere and made it look like the attack had come from Death Island. And it looks like the attacked mainframe belonged to these guys, so they thought you were the hacker, Forte." He explained after he was done examining some data.

"Well. Let devil bite me. That explains a lot. I wonder who the original hacker was, though…" Forte muttered, frowning.

"Maybe I can send some Killer Eye Viruses to snoop."

"Great. Call me once you have results."

"I'll do that with pleasure. I should be going back; I need to relay new orders. Later" Shirakami waved good-bye.

"Later."

Forte sighed and sat down on a corner while humming a tune.

_Well. Let's bring up some photos and have fun… Heh, heh, heh!_

16:06 PM (Japan Time)…

"… So! Forte wasn't the hacker?"

Vadous was talking with Zero, who'd come to report: he could be seen on the center LCD screen.

"Yeah. The data trail was skillfully diverted to Death Island. However, examining the data, it seems the place was chosen rather _hastily_. I think that the responsible just wanted to take any investigation quite far away and it was the first place they thought of." Zero reported.

"I have already compiled a list of potential candidates. Could you look them over?" He asked.

"Sure."

Vadous whistled a tune and suddenly spoke aloud apparently to no-one.

"Sigma: that joke is running old." He announced with a hint of amusement.

Sigma appeared behind Vadous, deactivating what seemed to be some kind of stealth camouflage device and looking amused.

"Mwah, hah, hah. Nothing catches you unaware. Eh, Boss?" Sigma grinned.

"Well, Sigma… If I'd let that happen then… None of us would be here today."

"Heh, heh. I know, Boss. But you should take in some humor sometimes."

"That's not a bad idea. Why do you think the storage rooms passwords are like that? That's humor." Vadous shrugged.

"I have new info, though… Commander Omega sent me to forward that to you, Boss… He wasn't in the best of moods to have a chat so…"

"Really? What did he find out?" He was intrigued.

"He found out something interesting while examining that website from which the attack originated."

"Ah? What did he find there?" That got his interest.

"He checked out how many people accessed it around the time of the attack approximately…"

"Good. How many candidates did he get? I only checked some ill-spoken boards for notorious hackers and sent Zero a list of _twelve_." Vadous announced.

"Commander Omega has six, but…" He trailed off.

"But…?"

"Well. He said that there was one that used a very powerful encryption protocol… And it looked custom – made. He brought a copy to see if "Black Ace" can crack it."

"My. Custom-made protocols are hard to find. It's worth a try." Vadous sounded intrigued.

"I've transferred the files already."

"Good. Tell Omega he's done a good job."

"Yeah, I will."

"Where's the guy at, though? He's onboard or not?"

"Well… I think he's trying to find more data about those two "Darkloids" named Star Man and Sword Man…" He admitted.

"Alright. The more data the better… Try some strategies against the VR Gravity Man just in case… Maybe we'll need to storm the "castle" by the time those two manage to turn on the facility. They're still analyzing the "Dimensional Element" to figure out how to shoot it out and have it be powerful enough to cover the planet… Guess they'll use some repeaters and amplifiers which will feed it with more power… And they'll have to be interconnected using atomic clocks…" Vadous exposed.

"I see. Well. I'm off to telling Gravity Man he's uglier than Dragon Hell's newest recipe. Mwah, hah, hah, hah. Let the Sword Nightmare begin: the guy will run for his five bucks he's worth. Mwah, hah, hah."

16:45 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Heh, heh, heh!"

Saito was working with their computer and humming a tune while he did so: he was also giggling.

_I told you my idea of picking those unreleased and stacked encryption protocols from the Science Labs along with a commercial protocol would be good, Netto – kun._ He explained to him.

_Yeah. And they surely aren't expecting two guys like us as hackers. After all, we're twelve years old. They must be expecting one of those creepy dudes who're always eager to get some money in exchange. _Netto agreed on it.

BEEP – BEEP – BEEP

"Someone's calling… Ah. Dekao – kun. What's up?"

"Huh? Ah. It's ya, Rock Man?"

"Can you please call me Saito instead?"

"Heh, heh, heh. Guts Man's become INVINCIBLE~! Thanks to the Hyper Mega Power Up Chip I designed!" He grinned.

"Oh yeah? Have you beaten Shade Man?"

"Shade Man? Who's that?"

"A vampire guy who is the strongest of those "Darkloid" guys… If not… You can try beating Burner Man alone... _Good luck_." Saito grinned.

"You mean the guy who got in our way back in February, huh? Whatever! I'll squish and pound 'em 'till nothing is left! Go, Guts Man! We gotta prove to MY Meiru – chan that I'm worth her admiration! Mwah, hah, hah, hah!" Dekao grinned and laughed.

"If the defenders of girls' rights heard that they'd lynch him." Saito muttered with what seemed to be black humor.

_That sounded scary, niisan! Try to be more positive…! Man!_

18:18 PM (Japan Time)…

"… It's still working on it, huh… This is the first time "Black Ace" takes so much time! I'm sure the NSA would've decoded it by now."

"Boss? It's still working on it?"

Sigma walked in, having heard Vadous muttered aloud: the LCD screen only showed one small window with a yellow text.

"ANALYZING…"

"This one is the biggest challenge I've ever found. And it's not a military protocol, mind you. In fact… Some sections of it look pretty outdated to begin with." Vadous told him.

"Ah? Then the perpetrator has limited resources…" Sigma guessed while distractedly tapping the sword with his left hand's knuckles in the meanwhile.

"Well. That's a possibility. Or it could be that he or she has been working on it for some time. Thanks to Zero… I found out that none of _my_ list and _Omega's_ list could've done it." Vadous announced.

"Well then. Eighteen candidates ruled out, then. Once we've deciphered this… Commander Omega is back but seems to be meditating so I wouldn't bother him."

"Yeah. Don't bother the guy. Well. I asked Zero to have a look at old databases, and when comparing codes, I found that some of them resemble unreleased encryption projects of the Science Labs along with segments taken off commercial protocols." Vadous explained.

"Unreleased… The culprit must have connections in the inside to get them."

"But since the Science Labs are government-run, there are tons of employees. Too many, and I'm still pending a rough sketch."

"This is turning very interesting, Boss. By the way… What will you do when you find the perpetrator?"

"Oh. I'll send them my most honest congratulations. No one had ever outsmarted me at encryption before. In fact, I'd like to interview the person. Maybe we could recruit him or her to work as a _freelancer _under a fixed salary." Vadous announced.

"Always finding uses to every situation, eh? I like that, Boss. Mwah, hah, hah, hah, hah!" He laughed.

"Sure, Sigma… Hum?"

The computer made a beep and brought up a world map as a cross with a red dot moved along the screen and stopped somewhere over Europe: the cross then descended, until it reached a well-known city: Paris.

"Paris?"

Street maps popped out and the cross stopped at an address: 333 Rue Rivoli.

"Let's see…"

Vadous typed on the computer and a beep sounded.

"Huh?"

The map disappeared and a video player popper out: the only image was really creepy.

A man with white hair that covered most of his face and it hid the eyes could be seen from the neck upwards and on his early twenties was being displayed there but it was a still image: a distorted voice sounded in the background and speaking in Japanese.

"I give you my greetings, my good sir. Congratulations on finding me. I am Shinkansen Mayoken. I'm a Japanese descendant who moved to this charming city five years ago, and I'm a _freelance_ programmer. Hacking is one of my hobbies. I have friends at the Science Labs who provided me with the encryption protocols. And! If you were wondering… A certain someone approached me with this interesting MAC address he'd casually found out the other day around…" The man announced: his voice sounded pre-recorded.

"So! He "casually" found, huh?" Sigma commented with a hint of sarcasm and formed a smug grin.

"… So, I got the system index and some files. I handed a copy at my _employer_. But my employer is now satisfied that he found answers to mysteries, and that he can tell that a certain someone is not evil. I bid you _adieu_, gentlemen."

The video stopped and _deleted_ _itself_ before Vadous could react.

"Mwah, hah, hah, hah… That sounded very, very convincing… But I think he did it himself instead. Gotta look up to Capt'n Crunch…"Sigma chuckled while Vadous typed furiously into the keyboard.

The screen reported that the encryption protocol files were gone, too, so Vadous grumbled something under his breath.

"It looks like he's smarter than I thought. But! If he's a freelancer… Then money is all we need to have his services."

"That's obvious…But I find it too coincidental."

"Yeah. I think they're trying to divert attention from Japan. I'm dead sure our friend really lives in there."

"We could put a trap in the website, Boss." Sigma suggested.

"And make anyone fall for it? It'd be the clever idea it was a site that was not visited so much. But this is a _forum_. Hundreds of people enter, write, and read. I am one of them. Nonetheless… I'll put a trap in my posts for the time being." Vadous shrugged.

"Something tells me we're up for a big surprise."

"Hmmm… Maybe you're right." He shrugged.

"The surprise will be this: Bloody Shadowy will become the "S" in Commander Omega's games while he's the "M" and…"

"DON'T JOKE WITH THAT, SIGMA~!" Vadous roared.

"Yikes! I'm off before it gets worse… Guess I shouldn't have said it…!"

18:38 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Hum! Heh, heh!"

Saito had received some info from a program he'd set up and looked amused: he leant backwards on the chair.

… _What did you think of my stunt? _He asked Netto.

_Terrific, niisan! However! We can't be sure they'll fall for it._

… _That's why I programmed it to self-delete along with any data on encryption protocols. _ Saito replied.

_Sweep?_ Netto guessed.

_Yeah. That sums it up._ Saito confirmed.

The doorbell rang, so their mother checked through the peep hole and then announced the visitor.

"Saito! Dear! It's Enzan – kun. He's coming up."

Enzan entered the room and sat down in a chair: Saito had closed all the applications he'd been working on and was looking at the BBC website in the meanwhile.

"Hello, Saito. I just dropped by to talk with you." He smiled.

"Is this official business, Enzan?"

"No. I came on my own."

"What do you want to talk about?" He stretched his arms.

"We've found out that someone has been copying old unused encryption protocols from the Science Labs. Do you know who could've done it?"

"I know two or three people who have a knack for these things, although they're all honest persons." Saito replied while counting with his fingers and frowning.

"It's not like they're stealing anything. I simply wondered why anyone would want to use them." Enzan scratched his head.

"Maybe they want them for a collection? You know…"

"Yeah. I'll tell the Commissioner not to worry about the copied protocols; they wouldn't be able to use them, anyway… See you, Saito." Enzan shrugged and did a handshake with Saito.

"Take care, Saito." Blues added

"Bye, Enzan. Good luck, Blues."

Enzan stepped out of the room and down the stairs while whistling a tune.

"Take care, Enzan – kun." Haruka told him.

"Thank you, ma'am. Do have a good afternoon."

He stepped out of the house and climbed into his limo to leave while Saito observed it from the balcony: once the limo had departed, he resumed working on what he'd been doing before.

_Let's send them to Oosaka the next time they try to trace us. _

_Terrific! Let's send them to enjoy some local octopus and _sake_!_

_Yeah. They'll end so stuffed that they'll think that their hacker is a glutton as well._ Saito grinned.

The PET rang again and Dekao showed up onscreen while looking annoyed.

"Oi, Saito! Where are those guys at? I only found some guy named Bright Man who beat me so easily!" He grumbled.

"That was one of them, you see."

"Wha~t? Damn it!"

"No wonder. They surely used several "Dark Chips" to power up: give it up, Dekao. Until they complete the "Vaccine Chip" then there's no point in battling those guys." Saito told him with a shrug.

"Damn i~t! Meiru – cha~n! I wanna become your guardia~n!"

_Dream on, Dekao – kun. You can't beat them. Back to work! Heh, heh!_


	17. Chapter 17: Finding out

**Chapter 17: Finding out**

18:51 PM (Japan Time), Wednesday July the 4th…

"… Huff."

Enzan was sitting on the back of his limo, observing the usual landscape and looking absent-minded: he'd just left the Hikari house and felt unsettled for some reason or another.

"Enzan – sama?" Blues called out.

"Hmm? What is it, Blues?" He replied while being half-distracted.

"I think it was my imagination, but… When we were leaving, I thought I saw a strange glint in Saito's eyes… And maybe a very faint smile…" Blues slowly replied.

"Are you sure?"

"I think so…" Blues sounded unsure.

"Hmmm… What could it mean? Maybe Netto suggested him another of his pranks." He rubbed his chin.

"Probably… I have an uneasy feeling." Blues admitted.

"You have an uneasy feeling? It's not like you…" He frowned.

"I know, Enzan – sama. Forget it. It was my imagination playing tricks on me." Blues apologized.

"Okay. Let's drop it."

"By the way, Enzan – sama. Do you know of a place named "Tropical Juice Club", sir? They're thanking you for their visit last weekend, sir."

"WHAT? That's gotta be some propaganda or spam… It must have malware even! It's got to be billing fraud: they steal your account data and use it to rob your money… Delete that, Blues!"

"Roger, Enzan – sama. Damn those guys."

_You won't fool Ijuuin Enzan so easily! You bunch of jerks! Hmpf!_

20:23 PM (Japan Time), Friday July the 6th…

"… Well, well, well…"

Saito was inspecting a French forum on technology which he'd translated into English for easier reading when he'd spotted a poster with the alias AC_001, which he remembered.

"… Listen to this, Netto – kun! "Before you ladies and gentlemen realize it, carbon-chemistry-made alloys will revolutionize the construction of buildings and equipment. It is not the future: it is the present."… Isn't it obvious who this poster is? Heh, heh!"

_The mysterious Dr. Spimer himself! Eh? Let's have a look…_

Saito began to trace the MAC address, and was not surprised when the trace passed through some satellites which tried to re-route him to various spots around the globe.

"They're careful."

He finally got through the deceptions and was really surprised when the signal led him to a place in the North Polar Circle.

_The North Polar Circle this time around! First a spacecraft and now one of the most hostile environments on Earth… These two men sure pick strange places to live at! _Netto exclaimed.

_I totally agree. They must be loners who don't want to interact with anyone else. _Saito deduced.

Checking detailed maps, he was surprised to find a big ice shelf known as "KH456": he asked for satellite imagery, and found them of a horrible quality due to the fact that the area was constantly assaulted by violent snowstorms.

_Who would want to live there?_ _Then again, there are scientists who spent months living in Antarctica to study the environment. _

_Yeah. They gotta have a steel will._

_Huh? Wait. I think I found something._

He finally found a decent photo that showed something incredible: the surface of the platform was mainly deserted, but in an area around half-way of the platform's length, he saw something.

"T-that's…!" He uttered aloud.

There was a group of nine domes interconnected between them which were clearly visible.

"A base…!"

This base it looked _futuristic, _like those suggested bases to establish in the Moon or Mars in the future.

_Let's check it out: I'm burning with impatience!_ Netto rallied.

_Roger,_ Danna. Saito joked.

He sent his bunch of Viruses (Mettools, Garuus, Spark Bees and others) to break through the firewall and rob the system index: advanced-looking Security Navis logged into the system and used rare and powerful Battle Chips to deal with them.

_They also take security seriously! _Netto whistled in surprise.

_Yeah. It's the first time I've seen Security Navis like these ones. Let's scram and send them to enjoy octopus in Oosaka._ Saito grinned.

Saito retreated and covered his trail using several of those re-routers to pass through Madrid and he then jumped, passing through Santiago de Cuba, Kentucky, Anchorage, Hong Kong, and, finally, Oosaka.

_Ta-dan!_

From there, he "borrowed" a link into a VPN and sent the signal to himself to erase all logs before he proceeded to open the system index file.

_Here's the logo, too! _Netto spotted.

_Let's check it out!_

The logo was a circle: two hands holding swords made them cross in an "X" pattern and creating a "flash" effect were drawn inside of its body.

An erupting volcano could be seen in the background, too, and the name "Cypher", colored red, was engraved around the edge.

He double clicked on a txt file which turned out to be a list displaying the users and how they were classified: he grinned and began to zoom into the document's contents.

HIGH – RANK:

C_001: DR. PIERRE SPIMER

C_002: COLONEL JAMES MORGAN

C_003: MARSHALL JESSICA FRENDAN

C_004: CAPTAIN MARY TRONIAT

C_005: LIEUTENANT ANN MARYLITU

C_006: DR. MARCUS ZOHAN

AGENTS:

C_007: JUSTIN

C_008: JASMINE

C_009: GEORGE

STAFF:

C_010: BOB ARMENZ

C_011: FERNANDO KANASHII

C_012: JOSEPH ARITMETH

C_013: KLAY AREIAN

C_014: SILVIANA JARENA

C_015: MARIA LANEY

C_016: JOHN BROWN

C_017: WAYNER ARCANUS

C_018: POYGAN LEZUS

C_019: IAREN SAMASTRA

C_020: SENASTRE PHOILAN

_They're a bunch of twenty persons, huh? Then it makes sense that they don't have a problem living in such a remote spot. _Netto commented.

_Well… There are some files, too… Let's start by the ones belong to Dr. Spimer._ Saito suggested.

_Yeah. Maybe we can find out the nature of this small society he's created in such a secretive manner._ Netto agreed on it.

Saito double clicked on a folder labeled "DR. SPIMER" and checked its contents: several Word documents along with Excel tables and JPEG images made up the contents of the folder so he began to study them.

_Hmmm… So, Dr. Spimer is now specialized in robotics and engineering. He's built some humanoid robots which are named the "S" series so as to test their reaction to several environments and the different jobs they can undergo. They're just pre-programmed and have no AI of their own, so they don't think… _

_This sounds cool! It'd seem it was worth it. _Netto sounded totally excited by their discoveries.

_There also some notes about a revolutionary combat jet which he named "Mega Hurricane"… It's invisible to the radar and very fast combined with the fact that it's made out of one of these rare alloys, making it extremely resistant to heat and hits. It'd seem that only extremely hot volcanic magma would be able to melt it down and it uses a prototype super energy engine… It could cut through a concrete building and emerge wholly unscratched, even! _Saito read only to find a note to help make an idea of its resistance and be awed.

_Whoa. There's no doubt anymore: this Dr. Spimer mister is a genius. _

_There's nothing else expect for some budget stuff… Let's try seeing this other scientist, Dr. Zohan. _Saito suggested.

Saito returned to the root directory and accessed the folder labeled "DR. ZOHAN": there were several PDFs, JPEG images and Excel documents there.

_Hmmm… This mister is specialized in genetic diseases… He's even studied HBD and there's my name in the list of "Diagnosed Cases"! He seems to be working on several supposed solutions to these diseases apart from the invasive and extremely delicate heart surgery… _Saito was surprised to find his name on one of the PDFs.

_Whoa. A solution to HBD… I'd like to see that happening. This way, if someone else was diagnosed with it, they could cure them…_ Netto sounded eager.

_Yeah. I agree on that. It was about time someone tried to deal with these rare diseases. _Saito agreed on it.

_So, we have a genius inventor and engineer along with a specialist in genetic diseases… Let's go greet that Colonel Morgan fellow._ Netto suggested after summarizing.

Like before, Saito returned to the root directory and accessed the folder with the name "COLONEL MORGAN": he found some PDFs and JPEGs along with some txt files so Saito opened one of the PDFs and began to read it.

… _What! Can you believe this, Netto – kun? This file states that Colonel Morgan isn't a real person: he's an android with advanced AI copied from that of Net Navis! _Saito was taken aback.

_Whoa. And he has a Colonel rank, even… It'd seem everyone sees him as a person and he sometimes believes he is… This is amazing! Totally amazing, Saito – niisan!_

_We'll read the rest later. Let's go have a look at another folder, Netto –kun!_ Saito suggested.

_Yeah! I'm burning! _Netto laughed.

Saito picked the folder labeled "AGENTS" next.

"Agents, eh?" He grinned.

It contained a lot of stuff, including MP3 songs, AVI or MKV video files, Words, Excels, PDFs, Power Points and JPEG images: he had a look at one of the PDFs.

_So! These "agents" who only have a first name are all Japanese orphans and they're already between seventeen and nineteen years old. They've been trained to be infiltration experts and field agents using materiel from the CIA and other intelligence agencies. They're two guys and a girl and they cooperate perfectly: they are under the direct orders of Colonel Morgan… This is another intriguing discovery._ Saito summarized.

_Yeah. It must be cool. _Netto agreed on it.

_Hum! We'll have an overall look at the other folders. We won't take all the night: it's already nine o'clock! _Saito told him.

_I agree. We've got the whole summer to study this at a calm pace. _Netto agreed on it.

_Hmmm… Those three other persons with military rank are former military officers who quit because of harassment and an overall discrimination on the armed forces they served at. Thus, they are consultants in these topics and also are field trainers._ Saito summarized.

_Yeah. There's always this "man" thing in the armies which has been dragged down forever. _Netto sounded annoyed by the topic.

_The rest of the staff are persons who sought "different" experiences and help with the maintenance of the base but also take part on the debates and chats which are organized from time to time. They get supplied via privately hired cargo planes under the pretext of being a private research group studying climate change on the North Polar Circle. Anyone of them is allowed to pick any of the planes and go back to their places of origin while on leave. _Saito read next.

_It'd seem like Cypher is supposed to some kind of "refuge", doesn't it? I mean… All of these persons are "different" so as to speak and would normally find it hard to satisfy their projects or ideals. _

_I agree. Let's prepare a CD copy and then go to sleep. _Saito suggested before letting out a yawn.

_Remember to use our camouflage program to make it look like it's just a classical Italian opera music CD. _Netto reminded him.

_Yeah. But we're unraveling a vast net of intrigue. Insofar, they all look like nice persons who don't go public because they could be labeled as "freaks" or "strange". _Saito commented.

_This must be the reason. I feel bad not telling Enzan, but we don't want him to wrongly interpret the facts. Besides, they'll all end up searching Oosaka and only finding octopus_. Netto commented, sounding worried at first but then sounding amused.

_Yeah. That's so true. They'll end up stuffed of octopus and they won't want to ever have to eat it again. _

He worked with the computer before booting it down: he walked over to the bed and climbed there while setting up the alarm clock.

_Today marks the 14__th__ day ever since this crisis began… It's been moving slowly but I've got the feeling it's about to speed up. With some luck these "Subspace" guys will bust the evil duo and the "Darkloids" but will manage to restore my Navi frame._

_Yeah. If they can program those cool Navis then that can't be too much of a work for them… And if they have a spacecraft, then maybe that explains how they were able to intercept the "Cybernetic God" before it got past the moon on its comet-like spacecraft…_

_If we meet them we could ask them but I'm sure that this hypothesis is correct to begin with. Well. Good dreams._

_Of octopus and curry and noodles…?_

_How original._

_That's sarcasm? Guess so. Heh, heh! See ya around, niisan!_

_Netto – kun has weird moods too. Whatever. Time to rest…_

21:11 PM (Japan Time)…

"…You too suffered a hack, Doc?"

Vadous was talking with Dr. Spimer using the Skype program: both of them were using the cameras installed in their screens.

Dr. Spimer looked on his late thirties.

He had a reddish-orange like hair, and his eyes' irises were blue: he was clean shaven as well.

He could be seen wearing a white lab coat over a brownish jumper and had reading glasses on.

The background behind him was a red leather armchair in which he was sitting in and a large bookshelf which seemed to span the whole of the metallic wall behind him.

"Indeed. They only snatched the system index, along with the basic files of everyone in the system root. I managed to trace it to Oosaka: the perpetrator was smart."

"Why?" He wanted his colleague's opinion on the subject.

"He or she used the re-routers that I placed on the satellites I "borrow". I had to override them to find out the correct path. He or she used a rather long route until they got there. It jumped quite a lot, but in the end I got Oosaka. But I couldn't get the MAC address: I got an estimate location, though." Dr. Spimer told him.

"Hmmm… Which part of Oosaka?"

"Around the port district... There are tons of offices there, many specialize in computers and it'll take weeks to check out the place." Dr. Spimer explained.

"I've been looking around there for some weeks, and I'm compiling a list of potential hackers for hire that'd be able to do such a job. What got my nose is…" He began, but his friend spoke for him.

"You mean to say that video, right? It also got mine."

"Did you notice that those encryption protocols look custom – made? I know you have some expertise in the topic." Vadous pointed out.

"Your suspicions were correct. It's been years since I last saw a good custom – made protocol. However… Some parts of it looked outdated by today's standards. I'd say they date from four or five years ago." Dr. Spimer exposed.

"That's because the perpetrator has been copying some unused protocol models stored in the Science Labs."

"Are you looking in there, too?"

"I've already got ten suspects."

"Ten? That's a lot." He looked surprised.

"I know. And there's a good chance that looking in Oosaka is a waste of time, too. I think they're diverting our attention there to keep us busy for a long time so that they can cover their trails more easily." Vadous suggested.

"I suppose it could be this way. We're against a pro: a really good pro. I mean… He or she is almost at my level of skill if not further." The scientist rubbed his chin.

"Well, sir… It took two _hours_ for "Black Ace" to try to crack one of those protocols."

"Two hours! _Dieu_! That's the absolute proof that the perpetrator is very skilled." He looked really surprised.

"If you say so, Doc… I'm not really angry at the perpetrator; I just wish we could recruit his or her services to help us." He admitted.

"It was a clever idea, Mr. Vadous. I'd do the same. You and I share one thing: we don't like killing." He pointed out.

"Absolutely. By the way… How is that project I requested coming along?"

"I'm at the final testing stage. Then I can keep it in cold storage until the moment comes." He reported.

"There's no rush, Doc. I'm still looking for a way to expel that doppelganger from Saito's Navi body." Vadous replied.

"Well! You know what they say, _messier_ Vadous: use poison to fight poison. Heh, heh, heh." Dr. Spimer suggested.

"Indeed. _Au revoir, messier le Doctor_."

"_Au revoir, messier Vadous_."

"Mwah, hah, hah, hah. The Curse of the Frenchmen…!"

"Sigma. Stop hijacking the interphone." Vadous sighed.

"Sigma…!"

"Yikes! Commander Omega!"

"Go to the capsule."

"Roger, sir…"

"So, Omega… Do you have any news?"

"Not really. Guess I'll have to dig out around the Reverse Cyber World spooky place… What do you make of that "Nebula Grey" thing, anyway, Boss?" He calmly asked.

"I believe it's one of the two "Admin" guys… But I dunno which because I only know there are two, but nothing about their character, age or traits to begin with… They must be using a Navi frame which acts as their avatar to interact with the Cyber World… And let devil bite me if that thing which Blues spotted over two weeks ago wasn't what I think it was… I've got a bad feeling about the guy but he seems to be content with just looking on and taunting us from time to time…" Vadous sighed.

"Yeah. I get that vibe too. If only we could figure out what the hell he's up to then things would be way easier. I did spot Shade Man around there and he's seemingly been trying some "Dimensional Converters" of his own. And he'll eventually fight Shirakami, I guess."

"Damn. As if things weren't ugly enough… We've got bad luck!"


	18. Chapter 18: The missing piece

**Chapter 18: The missing piece**

03:47 AM (Honolulu Time), Friday July the 6th…

"… Well! Let's begin!"

Forte was trying to boot up the giant "Dimensional Area" facility using the power programs.

_I just want to carry out a booting time test to know how much time we need to get everything on line. We don't know if the new equipment we've installed will help bring this place online… It's never been engaged to begin with since the project was suddenly aborted by the cuts on military budget of the 80s and the failure of the "Spectrum Project", also headed by Wily, back in that time…_ Forte distractedly thought while interacting with a holographic screen.

Everything was proceeding normally when an unexpected message popped out onscreen and an automated recording played out: Forte looked around, taken aback and snapping out of his thoughtful state: he looked nervous.

"WARNING. FINAL INITIALIZATION ALGORITHM MISSING: AUTOMATED ABORT IN 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… AUTOMATED ABORT ACTIVATED." The automated voice announced.

The power programs returned to their "switched off" mode and the whole system was automatically disengaged: the only remaining light came from the faint glow of some lights he and Shirakami had set up.

"What the heck? There's an algorithm? Why didn't you tell me earlier, miss?" Forte muttered aloud with a hint of sarcasm at the end.

Nevertheless, he forced some energy into the system to be able to access the main memory storage drive and found a set of instructions indicating that a laser system on the real world needed to read the algorithm in order to input the necessary commands to initialize the equipment of the facility's systems and subsystems.

"Hmmm… An algorithm which needs to be read by a laser…"

_If this was the "Spectrum Project", I'd know where to find such an algorithm… But this one is different: it was a stand-alone of Wily. Hikari Tadashi was not involved on this one. I don't think any of the Hikaris knows about this one. I'll just have to ask someone else: Dr. Regal. _

"… Hum."

Dr. Regal was sitting on his bed inside of a small prison cell, reading a book about WWII: he had grown some beard ever since he'd been arrested over three months ago.

_Father came to visit me not too long ago. I hadn't seen him for eleven years and he suddenly comes out and tells me that all he taught me and Yuriko was wrong: he'd just been led by greed and avarice… He's even helping the Science Labs. Maybe I should reflect upon it and try to redeem from my mistakes…_ _And Laser Man almost succeeded in pulling the strategy I was aiming at but Forte's meddling made it backfire and he ended up deleted. Damn the guy. _

Several "Dimensional Converters" emerged from the ground and the walls.

"Huh! "Dimensional Converters"…! The ones I made…! Who could be doing this? Laser Man was deleted!"

He'd even sat up on the bed and dropped the book from the surprise: his answer became obvious enough when Forte materialized into the room having a smug smile on his face and looking amused.

"Forte! My head still remembers that iron bar of yours all those months ago." He rubbed the back of his head and made a grimace.

He'd also stood up and was pointing an accusing finger at him.

"Oh. I'm so sorry, Doc. I just wanted you out of the picture. I'll go straight to the point: do you know where the final algorithm for Dr. Wily's "Dimensional Area Facility" is?" He asked in an amused tone.

"The Dimensional Area Facility, you say? He mentioned it sometimes, but, frankly, I didn't even know you needed an algorithm."

"Do you know where could I find Dr. Wily?"

"… Well… He told me he sometimes wanders around Akihara Park to think back…" He distractedly muttered.

"Well then… Thanks, Doc. Enjoy your adventures in the Eastern Front back in 1942!" Forte told him with a grin once he spotted the book.

Before Regal could react, Forte had de-materialized and the "Dimensional Converters" were gone.

"Damn mice."

Regal grumbled something under his breath before resuming reading his book.

"… Hum. Next time let's suggest some new firewalls with the capability to channel out the energy of the attacks and back at the source while reversing the polarity…"

Dr. Wily was sitting in bench near Akihara Park's central fountain and had his robot trolley parked nearby: he was immersed on the schematics and making notes using a red pen.

_Thinking back… I've been a fool! It's about time I fixed my mistakes. My first mistake was the temptation of the money the Ameroupe Army offered to have "Spectrum" and it led to a complete failure of both it and the "Dimensional Area Facility". I hope Regal and Yuriko listen to me and try to redeem for the damage caused. Colonel Barrel knew it when he requested of me to redeem for my mistakes! He is an irreplaceable friend and he understands me well… He wanted me to stop being so selfish… I don't know if he'll last much longer, though… His disease is worsening by the day at this stage… And to think he's barely 50 years old! I don't think he'll make it past this month…_

He sighed and stretched by standing up and walking around the fountain before sitting back.

_Why! Speaking of the" Dimensional Converters"… Some of them are around here… Huh! They weren't here two minutes ago!_

He'd been reflecting upon the current events and had distractedly spotted some "Dimensional Converters" near the bench he was sitting on: he'd just realized they hadn't been there two minutes ago.

"Yo~!"

Forte materialized on the scene and Wily gasped, having obviously recognized him.

_Forte! I knew he was around from what Regal told me, but I wasn't expecting him to pop out in front of my noses!_ He inwardly gasped and nervously stood up, holding the open schematics on his right hand and having the pen on his left hand.

"It's been a while, Dr. Wily! I'll go straight to the point: where is the final algorithm for the "Dimensional Area Facility"?" He asked with a broad smile and sounding eager.

"The final algorithm, you ask of me? My memory isn't what it used to be, you know… Oh! I entrusted it to Hikari Tadashi after the failure of the "Spectrum Project"… The only thing it ever managed to do was create a mass of bugs similar to a sea in the Cyber World… An endless edge: you fell once, you don't surface twice… It took years to cleanse and remove altogether!" He admitted.

"I'd heard about that tale, yeah. And what did he make with it?"

"Honestly… I have no clue. I just wanted to get rid of it and he gladly accepted. It was a failed product, after all. I didn't want it around to remind me of my failures. And I forgot all about all in the following years with that of raising Yuriko and Regal and trying to decode their revamped genome…" Wily confessed.

"So! I should ask Dr. Hikari next… Is he working on the Science Labs doing extra hours?" Forte assumed.

"I think so…" Wily hesitantly admitted.

"Thanks for your cooperation. I must be going. Farewell, Doc. And beware of rainstorms." Forte sounded very amused.

"Beware of rainstorms…?" Wily frowned and didn't seem the grasp the point of it.

Forte suddenly disappeared and Wily quickly took out an empty PET II from his jacket's right pocket.

"Better warn him!"

"… Phew!"

Dr. Hikari leant backwards on his chair after checking up some schematics onscreen.

_Good! The "Vaccine Chip" is almost ready! Meijin and Enzan – kun have both worked on the "Battle Chip Gate" and the "Advanced PET II": there's a prototype for each and each works insofar but the "Advanced PET II" needs some more field testing. Blues will have to be installed there and some "Cross Fusion" tests will be needed to ensure that the "Battle Chip Gate" compatible with the "Advanced PET II"! Our new "Dimensional Generator" works fine too! This is good progress! At this rate we'll have the three of them 100% functional before this month ends. _

His PET II started to ring and he picked it up: it was an unknown number so he frowned.

_It could be someone who picked the wrong number… _

"Hello?" He asked.

"Hikari Yuuichirou! It's me, Wily! Listen: Forte's after the "Dimensional Area Facility" algorithm!" Wily went straight to the point.

"WHAT!" He jumped off from the chair.

"Indeed! I applaud your extra hours, hakase." A slightly pitchy man's voice admitted with obvious amusement.

In the excitement of the phone conversation, Dr. Hikari had not noticed how the "Dimensional Area" had been set up: he turned around to spot Forte standing there and grinning.

_This one…!_

He inwardly grimaced and felt rage building up.

_I can never let them get away with what they did to my sons! First torturing Netto and then Shirakami to mentally torment him! If only I could fight them back…!_

"Where may I find that algorithm, hakase?" Forte asked, smiling.

_Let's get rid of him and tell the truth: I don't know what Father did with it and he never told me, either. Fortunately enough it isn't the "Spectrum Project" algorithm…_

"… I wish I could tell you, but Father told me that it was too dangerous for it to be left around." Yuuichirou coolly replied.

"Could there be a way to replicate it?" Forte asked next.

"I'm not sure; I never saw that facility or its system." Yuuichirou kept the same attitude.

"That's true, very true. I'll have to work on it, I guess. Good night. Tell Hikari Jr. and Rock Man that I dropped by, if you may. If not, I'll let them know. Heh, heh, heh."

Forte shrugged, grinned and de-materialized while retrieving the "Dimensional Converters" along the way.

"Damn."

Yuuichirou hissed several curses under his breath and sat back on his chair, trying to cool off.

_Once Saito gets his body back, they can go and get rid of his criminal! I won't stop them: this has gone beyond all acceptable limits! Let's try to speed up the work in our three projects!_

"Hikari – hakase, sir! What happened, sir?" Meijin rushed in.

"Forte was after something but fled! We must work more in the projects: the sooner we can remove Shirakami from Rock Man's body the best!"

"Roger, sir…! I won't let them get away with it, sir!"

09:20 AM (Japan Time), Saturday July the 7th…

"… Man. Where's that pencil at?"

Saito was trying to find a pencil which had fallen below his desk: he was looking around, walking on his knees and using the hands to support his body and was still wearing his pajamas.

"Where could it have gone to?" He wondered.

He found it, but noticed something curious: a board on the ground looked different than the others and there was even a small hole, wide enough for a finger to fit in.

_Maybe there's a secret compartment? _He inwardly wondered while raising his eyebrows in surprise.

_That's weird. I didn't make it up._ Netto admitted.

Saito opened it and found a small secret compartment in which there was a yellow envelope full of dust: there was a handwriting they had not seen before on its surface.

"To Netto from his Grandpa"

_Should I hand control back to you?_ Saito asked of Netto.

_No. Open it. We share everything, niisan. _Netto replied.

Saito grabbed the envelope and got out of below the table before he sat down on the chair.

"Let's see…"

He opened the envelope and took out a letter: Saito picked a magnifying glass to be able to read the slightly worn out characters.

"Weird. It's all in _hiragana_… As if Grandpa had been expecting Netto - kun to read it when he still was beginning elementary school and not begun studying _kanji_ yet..." He realized.

_Wow. Maybe he thought that I'd crawl beneath the desk one day and I'd find this letter but I didn't until now, so many years later._

"Well! "To my dear Netto… I know I won't be around for much longer. I'm so sorry for what happened to Saito, but your father and I found a solution. Maybe you'll understand with time. And I have to confess you something: I hid a special thing in the depths of your right eye. You can't see it and you can't touch it. Please don't tell your father or anyone else. He would be angry at me for not telling him, but I wanted to hide this in a safe place. If it fell into the wrong hands it'd be a very bad thing. I am sorry and I hope you find it in you to forgive me. And don't be surprised if you don't remember: I had to put you to sleep in order for you not to remember that. My heart will always be with you and Saito. Hikari Tadashi."… What?"

_What the heck? Grandpa went, put me to sleep and then stored something in my right eye somehow? I've always wondered about the small glint I've sometimes seen coming out of its depths… What could it be?_ Netto wondered.

_We should try to look it up somewhere. But let's keep his wish and don't tell Papa. _Saito suggested.

_Alright…_

_Speaking of Papa… Don't you sometimes notice that he has some weird patterns inside of his right eye too? Like on the day you woke up from the coma-like status in the hospital… _

_True. Could this be related somehow? We gotta find out more about what Grandpa did when he was young. The only thing we know insofar is that he programmed and built Pharaoh Man._

_I know. There's gotta be some biography around: after all, he's regarded as having built the foundations of the modern Network and of the Net Navi concept to begin with… _

The PET II beeped so Saito checked out the mail icon onscreen.

"From Dekao… "Yaito – chan beat me in a Net Battle! Are you giving her Rare Chips too or is Higure – san doing that? I wanna win!" … Nope. I'm not the one: those are Yaito – chan's. Bear with, man… This guy…"

19:28 PM (Japan Time)…

"… I'm home."

"Oh! Dear!"

"Papa!"

Saito had been helping his mother set up the table for dinner when Yuuichirou actually came into the house, looking like he'd been neglecting sleep and working too much.

"Hello… Haruka… Saito…" He greeted with a large yawn.

He sat down on the chair and looked about to fall asleep at any second now: he was also unshaved.

"Dear! You've been pushing yourself too hard again." Haruka scolded, looking annoyed, for once.

"You're right, Haruka… But these three projects are vital!" Yuuichirou argued, yawning.

"You mean to say the "Advanced PET II", the "Battle Chip Gate", and the "Vaccine Chip", right? Blues did tell me that Enzan has been doing extra hours, too, and so has Meijin – san. Are you in a league or what?"

"Please give me a break… As if it wasn't enough, "you-know-who" actually showed up at the Science Labs…" Yuuichirou looked like he was holding back his wish to explode into pure rage.

"What!" Saito gasped.

_The lowlife…!_ Netto inwardly hissed.

"Well. He was after an algorithm Wily passed into Father and which served to engage a facility he made up during his time in the Ameroupe Army…" Yuuichirou admitted.

"And where's that algorithm?" Saito asked: he had a hunch.

"I really don't know: Father never told me. I guess he did destroy it according to Wily's request." Yuuichirou shrugged.

_But, niisan… Aren't algorithms complex math processes? What do they have to do with what Grandpa said on the letter?_ Netto asked: he knew what Saito thought.

_I'll look it up later._ Saito simply replied.

"Apparently… He started by going to see Dr. Regal, who directed him to Dr. Wily, and he then finished by showing up in my lab… And he did tell me to tell you two he'd been there." Yuuichirou growled.

"… What a gangster." Saito hissed.

"… I totally agree." Haruka nodded in agreement.

"Could I please having something as dinner? I've barely eaten anything as of late… I must've lost five kilos…"

"Heh, heh! My super dinner is going to help Yuuichirou – san put those five kilos back on." Haruka giggled.

"Yeah. I wouldn't be surprised." Yuuichirou made a weak smile.

"… Huh… Do you mind if I go to our room for a min? There's something urgent I need to look up…" Saito announced.

"Oh, no. Don't worry, dear! It'll take at least half an hour to get this dinner ready."

"Go ahead… I need a shower…" Yuuichirou yawned again.

Saito climbed upstairs and sat down in front of the computer: he began to look up classified info he'd found hidden in Vadous' mainframe about something which was named "Spectrum Project" and another project named "World Defense Shield Project".

_Hmmm… The "Spectrum Project" began as a co-op between Grandpa and Wily… They wanted to use special algorithms and a method of digitalizing to help people enter the Cyber World freely and explore it. However, at some point, Wily began to seek further ambitions and firmed a contract with the Ameroupe Army. The Army, as usual, saw a possible super weapon on it. _Saito summarized.

_They'd seen all of the _Star Wars_ films and wanted to emulate the Death Star! _Netto joked.

_Yeah. I wouldn't be surprised if the idea came out from there. _Saito agreed on it.

_So? What happened to the project afterwards? _Netto asked.

_With Wily's departure the project was abandoned and the "Hikari Tadashi Program" was installed in the back-then-sponsor's, TRINITY Brain Inc.'s, main system_._ This program is regarded as the supplier of all lifelines of today's Network System and the lifeline of all existing computers in the nation… Whoa! _Saito was awed.

_Whoa. Grandpa sure was the one who set the foundations for today's Network Society._ Netto whistled in surprise.

_Regarding Wily, he also created another facility which was to help create a "World Defense Shield"… It'd seem that it was the military name for it while, in truth, it just means a gigantic "Dimensional Area" capable of encompassing the whole world as a means of dissuading Soviet Sharo of trying to use ICBMs because they'd be overloaded by the magnetism the "Dimensional Area" would generate once they reached outer space and blow up there without harming anyone. Maybe Regal got the idea to use that as a "Barrier" to hold the "Cybernetic God" at bay from Wily's own tale of the project… _Saito summarized.

_Of course… The Cold War was still going on the 80s… _Netto seemed to have recalled.

_The "Spectrum Project" by the Army failed and, as a setback, the gigantic "Dimensional Area Installation" was abandoned without having been properly tested. Wily stored his "Wily Program" somewhere and said farewell to the Army to become independent. However, there are some extra notes… I guess this Vadous - san must've added them… _Saito concluded before spotting some extra notes.

_Whoa, whoa! Let's see what he thinks of it! It could help us see his train of thought! _

_Hmmm… What! Listen! This program was supposed to be stored in that Reverse Cyber World place! But he says it ain't there anymore! So what I met back then… It was the "Wily Program"! _

_So "Nebula Grey" stole it by fusing it with him! But what can that thing do, anyway?_

_See! Were it someone to combine it with the "Hikari Tadashi Program", they could bring the abandoned "Spectrum" facility to full power and provoke a mass "de-materialization phenomenon" which could turn digitalize a large portion of the Earth and invert Real World and Cyber World, warping Earth within a gigantic Cyber Space… To sum it up: it's nothing short of a doomsday machine. Bloody hell! _Saito read the notes before spotting the summary and uttering a curse upon realizing the implications of it.

_Damn it. I rather prefer a gigantic "Dimensional Area" to a doomsday machine._ Netto sounded somewhat relieved.

_Then I'd say we can make sure he seeks good intentions. He admits that he, too, doesn't know what has become of the second algorithm, but admits that he knows their nature: they can be engraved with a laser in a person's retinal pattern and then be read again. And Papa has the final piece of the "Hikari Tadashi Program" on his right eye's retinal pattern: that's the weird thing we've seen! _Saito read before spotting something surprising.

_Then…? What Grandpa engraved on me is, too…?_

_Yeah. Grandpa put that algorithm on Papa. And he then did it on you, Netto – kun, because he probably couldn't destroy the algorithm or something told him it would be worth keeping… In any case! If not even this Vadous – san knows this… Those two don't, either. _Saito concluded his train of thought.

_You turned out to be right, after all. Let's act as normal and make sure not to attempt anything reckless… _Netto suggested.

_Yeah. But we can't complain, can we? Papa did come home. _

_You're right. Let's go see if dinner is ready. _

_You little glutton… _Saito teased.

_Teasing me, huh? It amuses me, ya know, niisan._ Netto sounded amused by Saito's teasing.

"MUGRO~H!"

"Oh shit."

"Mwah, hah, hah, hah! Catching up, Rock Man?"

"Sure as Hell, "Nebula Grey". You stole the "Wily Program"! You want to use "Spectrum" or what?"

The monster showed up onscreen followed by the "face" which made that typical mocking laughter.

"No! My "Master" has no use for a cybernetic world!" The guy proclaimed next.

"You mean "IQ", whoever they are or were." Saito calmly told the guy without being impressed.

"True! IQ – sama: the true ruler of the underground! Their mere name brings fear and terror along it! Mwah, hah, hah, hah!"

"They're on the brig. So you're continuing their rule and making them stop their slaughters on each other?" Saito grumbled.

"Yeah! And soon… Soon… "IQ" will set their sights on you two… And you will become their tools for all eternity! They only have use for your bodies: your minds will collapse and the body will rule you!"

"You psycho! Fight me like a man if you're a strong guy!"

"Hah! No. My strength is being saved up to get rid of that traitor dog and their organization! They're not invincible: they're but a Bruce Wayne wannabe! And the same goes for their clowns! Hah, hah, hah!"

The monster vanished while laughing and Saito grumbled something under his breath: the guy was starting to annoy him for real.

20:50 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Hum! Hum… Nothing out of the ordinary… Che."

Omega was flying across the "Reverse Cyber World" space and looking there and there.

_Show your ugly hides around, you "Darkloids"._ He inwardly challenged.

He suddenly spotted how a data stream was moving out of the area and it was heading skywards towards the normal Cyber World: he tried to keep up with it but it was too fast.

_Someone is recalling data through the "Reverse Cyber World"? It ain't the "Darkloids" 'cause they don't know how to do that._

When he emerged into Internet City, though, he'd lost completely lost it: he climbed to the top Silver Tower and looked into the horizon.

_Hmmm… That cluster of abandoned buildings could be a nice spot from which they could operate._ He decided.

A minute later, while walking around the deserted area, he spotted another data stream coming out of the "Reverse Cyber World" from a very deep pit.

_Huh? Ah! Then… The stream of before was surely diverted to come here and they sent a fake trail to try to shake me off. They're no _amateurs_, then. _

Omega tried chasing the stream but couldn't keep up with it: he was able to spot a connection opening and closing, but, when he reached the place it had been at, there was no trace of anything.

"Che. Huh?"

An army of Viruses (Mettools, Garuus, Spark Bees, etc.) suddenly popped out of nowhere and surrounded him.

_Pieces of rubbish, huh?_

"Come. You rubbish." He taunted.

He punched the ground and let out several energy spheres which hit several of the Viruses.

"Here!"

He then punched the ground again and eight blue and white light columns rose, blocking him from the attacks and reflecting them back.

"And here!"

He drew his saber next and headed for the bunch of them.

"Hah!"

In total, he was done with them in less than a minute.

_No pieces of rubbish can stand up to the Dark Messiah._

"Omega? Is something going on? You looked like you were in the middle of a quarrel…" Vadous called out through a radio link.

"Sorry, Boss. I was checking some unusual activity and they stalled with these pieces of rubbish before I could try to find out who it was. If I could bet, I'd place on my money that it was our so-famous hacker: it was using the "Reverse Cyber World" to pick data from other spots."

"… Hum! Hmmm… That's somewhat of a pity. In any case… Come back here. There's nothing else to be done there anyway."

_Phew. This was close._

_Sure was…_

Saito had been working with the computer and was sighing in relief.

_And he almost caught up with our real connection… Luckily enough we had these Viruses to stall for the time we needed to clean our trails._

_Luckily, I've now redirected them to the old WWW base. Let them search under the stones._

_Good idea. And the next time send them to Siberia. Laika will love to act as their tour guide._ _Heh, heh, heh, heh._

02:12 AM (Honolulu Time)…

"… Fuck."

Forte was reading some files and looked pretty annoyed or like he'd run out of patience altogether.

_Damn. This stuff is too dense. It'll take YEARS at this rate to get this thing working! And I rather prefer this thing to the "Spectrum Project". And the "Wily Program" was stolen by that "Nebula Grey" guy, whoever they are, anyway! So you can't start that thing up, either… I'd liked to pick those generals and hit them on the head with a hammer a thousand times for their constant "red" paranoia… And what if the Soviets took control of this? It wouldn't matter! It's just a harmless "Dimensional Area" intended to stop ICBMs from dropping down when they reached outer space! _Forte annoyingly thought while he quickly switched pages.

Tired, he looked away from the screen and rubbed his eyes: he felt like they were aching from reading at something in such bad lighting conditions.

_I should really go into the real world and read it from there… It could be romantic to come out into the balcony and see the moon reflected on the ocean's waters… I could see the reflection of my eyes and stare into my soul… Wait… Eyes… Algorithms… _

Forte had been letting his imagination run loose when something forced him to focus on his thoughts and made him frown: he brought a hand to his chin and looked thoughtful.

_Dr. Hikari has the "Hikari Tadashi Program" last algorithm engraved into one of his retinal patterns… Engrave into an eye… An algorithm… Could it be? Could it be…? What if it was like this…? Hikari Tadashi sees a well-made job on that thing and decides it'd be a waste to destroy it. Nevertheless, he doesn't even tell his son what he does with it. Why? Because he engraved it on Hikari Netto's eye without his son's permission! That's it: Hikari is the final key! I gotta tell Shirakami ASAP!_

He giggled under his breath and sounded amused…


	19. Chapter 19: The attempt

**Chapter 19: The attempt**

08:48 AM (Japan Time), Monday July the 9th…

"… I can't believe it! This hacker is eluding me all the time: and it's already been a while since the attack… And they're not in Oosaka, not in the Science Labs, not in the old WWW base and not _anywhere_!"

Vadous was baffled at the fact that the so-infamous hacker couldn't be located no matter what.

"Boss… Aren't you focusing yourself too much into this topic? Shouldn't you worry about the Evil Duo?" Omega pointed out while looking slightly exasperated.

"Well! From what Daratsu reported… They're now trying to recreate an algorithm. But it'll take those two years at this rate… And the original algorithm was most likely destroyed. So no worries…" Vadous didn't seem to mind it.

"Hum. So it'd seem." Omega, however, was not satisfied with that.

"What do you have in mind, Omega?" Vadous asked, turning the revolving chair around to face him.

"Well… I have an uneasy feeling like something big is about to happen yet again… Call me paranoid and whatever but…" He muttered.

"Really? Every time you've said it, you've been right… Maybe we should focus more on those guys… We'll do it. By the way… You should know that the first data stream you tried to chase the first time was a _decoy_…" He explained.

"A decoy, huh? It's no wonder it vanished so quickly. Does that mean that the second one was the real stuff, like I'd been suspecting?" He grasped the situation.

"Yeah. I have no doubts about it."

"Has Daratsu reported anything new about their plans? Have there been any sudden calls?" He suddenly asked.

"… Well… Now that you mention it, he did notice a rushed call Forte made to Shirakami. Our Killer Eye viruses recorded it. He told him that the reflection of the eyes looks romantic with moonlight. I dunno if he was trying to cheer his colleague up or what." Vadous explained, shrugging and sounded like he didn't' see the point of it.

"I have a bad feeling about this… Boss. Let me go and check things _down_ there. I'll use the stealth camouflage." He requested.

"You sound worried, for once. If this will ease your soul, go and do it. Just be discrete."

"Thanks, Boss."

"It's nothing."

"Commander Omega, sir! I want to protest, sir!" Blood Shadow suddenly ran in and looked annoyed given how he'd removed the helmet and how it was displayed on his eyes.

"What, Sigma tried to play _yaoi_ with you even though none of you can do that for real?" Omega grumbled.

"Yes, sir! He tried to… kiss me, sir!"

"Oh come on. Has he never looked at his own face in the mirror? Anyone would get the creeps when seeing him from close by."

"Bloody~ - chan!" Sigma's voice echoed.

"SIGMA! YOU!" Omega growled.

He ran off and they heard the sound of something followed by a door opening with violence and a gasp of fear.

"STOP PLAYING YAOI WITH BLOOD: YOU'RE SCARING THE HELL OUTTA HIM AND THAT'S THE LAST THING WE NEED RIGHT NOW! GO BUST GRAVITY MAN OR WHOEVER YOU PREFER! BUT NO MORE BULLYING BLOOD: BOSS IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE AND I'VE ALREADY EXPLODED, GET ME, YOU BIG BULLY?" He exploded.

"Y-y-y-yes, s-s-s-s-sir! It w-w-won't happen again, sir…! Man! Scary…!"

09:22 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Whoa!"

Saito was reading a magazine, interested by the articles about the future "PET III "that a branch of IPC was working on.

_Enzan must be exasperated by now: as if trying to have the "Advanced PET II" be tested ASAP by working extra hours wasn't enough work… Some IPC genius believes they can begin talking about a wholly different PET model altogether. He must be climbing the walls and about to fire the idiot who came up with it. _Saito grinned as he reflected about it.

_Yeah. I wouldn't be surprised. And Blues must be out of ideas of how to tell him to quit doing extra hours and rest for a bit. Anyway… I'm pretty sure we'll have solved this affair before the 6__th__ grade begins. _Netto commented, sounding like he agreed with Saito's line of thought.

_By the way… Is it me or there's now always a car in front of our house or near it? _Saito brought up.

_Ya noticed? It picked me, too… Maybe they have something to do with Yamato – sensei… He could've ordered them to keep an eye on everyone who comes and goes just in case… _

_Yeah. I'm pretty sure it's the case. Let's them be._

The PET beeped so he rolled his eyes and checked the mailbox again to sigh with exasperation.

"Listen. "I tried to fight MY Meiru – chan to prove her I'm strong enough to protect her but she beat me with Program Advances! Girls are supposed to dislike Net Battles! Why do I lose to 'em? Is Higure – san backing them up or WHAT? Tell me! Pretty please~!" … Dekao – kun! Ya should know by now that Net Battles are for all genres. Girls also like _Pocket Monsters_, _Final Fantasy_ and such! This is the 21st century: stop being so sexist about things and finish the summer homework!"

_The guy won't learn, Saito - niisan. That's the problem._

_I know! Jeez!_

09:28AM (Japan Time)…

_Heh, heh, heh!_

An unidentified individual smiled at the sight of the balcony while hiding on some bushes near the house.

_Yessir… The perfect spot for an entrance… But I should be really careful… I don't want to start a ruckus._

They looked around, and saw a car, a red Volvo, parked nearby: two persons were inside and they were obviously keeping a watch on the front door.

_Crap._

The figure looked around and saw another car keeping watch of the back of the house.

_Che. Both sides are under surveillance. Hmm. It looks I picked a bad moment. We should wait a little more… I have patience. And no – one is perfect, either… Heh, heh, heh…_

Omega's intuition proved to be correct: he'd been leaning against one of the walls of the Hikari house, eyeing the bushes, using stealth camouflage, when he spotted Shirakami there.

_Hmpf. Rubbish. They go and try to use lowlife tricks. I dunno why they dropped by here, but it'd seem the piece of rubbish couldn't hold it back anymore. What a psycho. When Boss gives me permission, I'm so gonna make mincemeat of it like I did that bothersome Cold Man. Anyway… _

"… Boss. This is Omega. A piece of rubbish tried to make its way inside, but the agents made it think it twice." He reported in a very hushed tone.

"… Then I should pay more attention to your intuitions. We'll issue IR goggles to the agents so that it can't use the same trick twice. "Trick me once, you're to shame. Trick me twice, I'm to shame"… No one tricks me twice." Vadous muttered as he quoted a proverb.

"Sure. I'll trash 'em if they dare!"

14:44 PM (Honolulu Time), Sunday July the 8th…

"… How did it go like?"

"No such luck. The house is under surveillance. And I swear that someone _saw_ me… But I couldn't find anyone."

Forte and Shirakami had met up to talk about Shirakami's botched attempt: they'd chosen a circular catwalk surrounding the tall central tower of the "Dimensional Area Facility": the whole of it seemed to be built inside of a volcano-like structure.

"That's a pity. Hmmm. Maybe we could employ some form of bait to lure them out?" Forte suggested.

"No. You may lure out one car. But the other would stay there no matter what. They're not idiots." Shirakami discarded it.

"We'll have to think of something better. Maybe if we give it a bit more of time we'll be able to come up with something."

"Yeah. I'm off to the castle. Ah! Have you made any progress trying to find that hacker?"

"Frankly, I haven't. I've got stuck in Oosaka. And I even found a message left behind in the "Reverse Cyber World"..." Forte scratched the back of his head.

"What did it say?"

"…Well… "Enjoy the good ol' Oosaka octopus, fellows. The great I am named Octopus – han." … It looks like the one who wrote it was from the region." Forte quoted while rolling his eyes.

"Octopus, huh? It must be juicy." Shirakami teased.

"Who knows?" Forte shrugged.

"Maybe we could tell the individual to go hack World of Warcraft."

"Yeah. I hope they leave us alone." Forte rolled his eyes.

"Who wouldn't? I'm heading back."

10:06 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Oho. One of the Evil Duo actually read the note."

_They've fallen into the trap, then._

Saito had been checking the status of the note he'd purposely left behind in case anyone (be it either Omega or Forte) inspected the "Reverse Cyber World": he'd made sure to write it on Kansai dialect so as to reinforce the idea that they were supposed to look in Oosaka.

_They sure have. They'll be asking around the port and the restaurants for "Octopus – han". _Saito grinned.

_Sure, sure! And then they'll realize that Oosaka food is way juicer than Tokyo food_. Netto added.

_Let's check on Enzan using his floor's lobby CCTV camera: I wanna see how he handles the "Advanced PET II"… I heard that Meijin – san's gotten over 90% completion of the "Vaccine Chip" by now, Papa's handled the "Battle Chip Gate" and fixed some errors, and that the "Advanced PET II" is pending further testing by installing Blues on the finished unit._

Saito inputted some commands and brought up imagery showing Enzan: he looked like he hadn't slept at all for several consecutive nights and was struggling with the coffee vending machine to try to get another coffee: Blues sounded exasperated.

"… Gimme my coffee… Stupid machine… Move it…"

"… Enzan – sama… Hum… Gabcom has placed a spy here and Ayanokouji knows about Enzan – sama's behavior, so she will boast out that her father never has the need to do such a "worker-class" thing." Blues improvised.

"Heh! _Buruusu_… He knows that Enzan always gets a bad mood when Gabcom is brought up."

"Goddamn it! That's it! I'm gonna go and slice that idiot who leaked that of the PET III and forced me to rectify that it was something which is just an idea and there's not even a drawing board design for it!"

"I knew it." Saito muttered.

"Damn them! Our projects are the "Advanced PET II" to help fight "Dark Chips" and the "Battle Chip Gate" for "Cross Fusion" fights! Plus the "Vaccine Chip" developed by the Science Labs! Fuck them!" Enzan growled in utter frustration.

"Couldn't Enzan – sama try to see if there's any way of locating those two?" Blues offered.

"That's what that Laika jerk is doin'! But he always comes up with the 'They're nowhere to be found in the whole region' thing… Look elsewhere, dude! They're not gonna hide around the corner!" Enzan exploded, looking sleepy.

"Enzan – sama. I do think that we could find them." Blues offered to try to divert his attention elsewhere.

"How are we gonna do so?"

"It's easy. We leak a rumor about us having a secret Giga Battle Chip which wipes the floor with anything on it, sir. They'll definitely come try to steal and we'll catch them red-handed, sir. That would be a blow from which they would hardly recover, sir!" Blues told him.

"Huh… Gotta… sleep… Gotta go… to the apartment… Or I'll collapse any moment now… Gotta rest… Gotta sleep… Bed, my kingdom for a bed… I wanna a bed…" Enzan sluggishly muttered.

"Should I call…?"

"Yeah! Call for the limo: I _need_ to rest before I go and tear the Evil Duo to pieces!" Enzan ordered while raising the volume of his voice.

"Roger, sir."

"There, _Buruusu_ got what he wished: Enzan is actually gonna go rest at his apartment for the day and will wake up refreshed."

_He can be sneaky when he wants to!_

"Sure thing. Heh, heh, heh. Let's see… Laika!"

He inputted some commands and brought imagery of a Net Police HQ room: Laika was sitting on a chair next to a table and had taken off his coat to work with the laptop: he was holding his PET II and talking with Search Man.

"… I'm beginning to get fed up with this. Shirakami comes and goes and we know where he goes thanks to Zero's data, but we can't follow him 'cause Forte is there, too. Where's Enzan where you need him to lend you a hand, anyway? Overworking on his VP office? The guy won't learn not to overwork!" Laika was complaining aloud.

"Hum… Laika – sama… Maybe it would be wiser to go for a change of airs?" Search Man suggested.

"It may. Let's go for a walk: some hours won't make a difference, or so I hope..."

Some alarms rang out: Saito also gasped as Laika's PET beeped and Meijin showed up onscreen.

"Laika – kun! There's an intruder there, on the Net Police HQ! A "Darkloid" named Star Man, it'd seem! Repel them!"

"Roger, sir! Plug In! Search Man, Transmission!"

"So! The attack is that Star Man guy, huh… What type of guy are they?" Saito wondered.

_A pop "star"! Heh, heh, heh!_

"How funny." Saito rolled his eyes.

"Meteors!"

"Stop right there!"

"Heh, heh, heh! So you came, Search Man! I've been waiting to check you out… I know you foiled Video Man's strategy in March by directly crossing over the real world and attacking the core of a "Dimensional Converter", so I wanna see what you'll come up with today."

"Hmpf. I feel praised."

"Heh, heh, heh!"

Star Man happened to be about Rock Man's own height: he had a more "humanoid" design to him.

His face was white in color: he had no nose and his eyes were navy blue with small round white spots on them: he had two round navy blue/blackish ear-pads with a small reddish cone coming out of them and aiming SE.

His hairstyle was punk in style (or at least gave off that impression): it consisted on five golden spikes aiming northwards

Three golden bands were wrapped around his neck and a scar-like extension came out from behind it to end in a star shape.

His emblem, a white star set against a blue background with red and blue edges, could be spotted on the forehead.

His arms were blue in color until the elbow and then turned white:

His upper body was colored navy blue and the rest of it (namely the legs) was colored in a pure white shade.

He sported two tall boots with a brown upper edge just below the knee while their main color was a dull orange one.

"So that's Star Man. We're pending meeting that Sword Man guy wherever the guy is at." Saito muttered.

Another alarm rang out and Saito switched screens to see Meijin typing into one computer and bring up a map.

"Damn it! Now the Giga Net Bank is being targeted? Enzan – kun is tired and can't handle Blues so… Time to call for Thunder Man! Hello? Thunder Man, do you copy? This is Mejin!"

"What's going on? Those jerks are back at it?"

"Yeah! The Giga Net Bank! Hurry it up!"

"A bank again! Damn it! I'll toast them yet!"

Saito switched cameras again and spotted Thunder Man appearing next to a firewall being attacked by another "Darkloid".

"You! Stop right there!"

"Huh! A human's puppet intends to get in Sword Man's way?"

"Whatever."

"Sword Man…!"

Sword Man struck at being over a meter and eight in height or closer to a meter and ninety.

His head was shaped like a pyramidal sword's hilt placed on its sheath: the edges were red with two white spots at end of the upper edge: a vertical metallic white piece with a round grayish spot was set over the forehead and a brown handle emerged from atop the head: his face lacked a nose, had a thin mouth and his eyes were yellow eyes sans irises.

His main body was colored white and had a hexagonal form: two brownish metallic bands crossed the chest and formed a pyramid right in the middle, above and below the center section of the band, colored black.

The emblem was a simple close-up of a sword's blade which aimed upwards and set against a brownish background.

His shoulders were white spheroids with two white circle-shaped pieces covering the forearms and the segment below the shoulder: they lacked elbows.

The wrists had square brown armor over them and the hands' skin was black.

"Great Sword!"

Sword Man swung a small _katana_ he carried and an energy slice flew across the air: Thunder Man ducked just in time.

"Thunderbolt!"

"Hah! Gotcha."

Sword Man placed the _katana_ on the ground to act as an improvised lightning rod and then picked it up again.

"Mwah, hah, hah, hah!"

"Shit."

"Sword Press!"

Sword Man jumped into the air and landed back down while creating an expanding shockwave which pushed Thunder Man into his feet: he growled and stood up.

"_Go_! Thunder Man! Battle Chip, Super Vulcan! Slot In!"

"Eat these!"

"Cry, Grand Sword!"

He took out one of his head – swords, the blue-colored one, and used it to deflect the rounds.

"What!"

"Mwah, hah, hah! What powerlessness! I laugh at it!"

"Damn it."

"Spiral Sword!"

Sword Man shot both of his remaining swords, which formed an "X" shape and headed for Thunder Man's neck.

"Shit! Battle Chip, Area Steal, Tank Cannon!"

Thunder Man warped and shot an attack at Sword Man from behind: he emitted a guttural sound and turned around.

"Damn you~…!"

"Hmpf. Not so strong anymore…?" Raoul taunted.

"Damn you! You damned human eyesore!"

"That's my motto! You "Darkloid" eyesore!"

"Wha~t? Sonic Blade!"

He plunged the sword into the ground and shot a shockwave towards Masked Thunder which hit him: he fell into the ground again.

"Shit."

"Hmpf… More rubbish stirring up trouble, huh?"

"What! Who…?"

"Behind you... You Cerberus wannabe moron…"

Sword Man turned to see Omega standing there with his arms folded and looking both indifferent and unimpressed: he seemed to be slightly annoyed as well.

"You're…!"

"Omega. Learn the name, Cerberus wannabe."

"Wha~t?"

"Run or die."

"Damn it! I'll remember this!"

Sword Man fled and Omega merely lifted the right eyebrow: he glanced at Thunder Man and then became data to leave: Saito quickly switched screens to look at how Search Man intercepted some meteors Star Man made rain down.

"Star Arrow!"

A vortex opened and various light bursts came out.

"Scope Gun!"

The shot hit Star Man in the forehead and momentarily stunned him: Search Man silently tossed some Search Grenades there and they detonated: Star Man jumped upwards, annoyed: he growled something undecipherable next.

"Shooting Star Shower!"

He opened another "gateway" and shot some stars towards Search Man but he jumped into the air and took aim: he shot at his right knee next and knocked him off the air: a figure suddenly dropped from above and plunged a _katana_ into his right shoulder.

"Ua~h!"

"Calling on Shadow Man. I finally get to shine."

"Damn it!"

Star Man warped and reappeared higher in the sky while grumbling and clutching his wounded shoulder.

"I'll remember this!" He threatened.

"… So it's true." Search Man merely told Shadow Man.

"What. You didn't believe Dr. Wily had revived me? Heh, heh, heh… Those callous and composed attitudes are amusing…"

"Whatever."

Search Man was retrieved and Shadow Man shrugged while he stored the _katana_ on his holster: Omega came into the system and looked around before setting his gaze on Shadow Man.

"So. Who was here?" He merely asked.

"Some neophyte named Star Man."

"Neophyte? You mean that because he looks younger."

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… Well, yeah. Got a problem with that, Mr. Righteous Sword?" He chuckled and shrugged.

"Nope. I'm off. Things are about to boil."

"Shadow Man… That of "neophyte" was weird… Couldn't you say "Star Man was here" instead?" Dark Miyabi argued with him.

"Gotta agree with that, yeah…" Saito muttered.

_Well! At least we're pushing them back. Heh, heh! You guys lose~!_


	20. Chapter 20: New world

**Chapter 20: New world**

09:48 AM (Japan Time), Tuesday July the 10th…

"… Here, then?"

Saito exited into the Net Police HQ's roof helipad to find an ominous black KA-62 helicopter parked there: he looked around and spotted a CCTV camera mounted nearby.

_This is weird. Enzan suddenly tells us to come with him in a mission even though we're unable to use "Cross Fusion" and we don't have a Navi to Plug-in… Don't you find it weird, Netto – kun?_ Saito reflected.

_It sure is. I was convinced that Enzan was trying to regain some sleep from the sleep hours he's neglected for the sake of the "Advanced PET II" and the" Battle Chip Gate"… And he's still pending trying to install Blues there and try it out in "Cross Fusion" battles…_

"… Yo! Good morning, Saito!"

Enzan came out into the roof carrying two canteen bottles and looking in top shape.

"Enzan. It's about time you told us what's going on." Saito annoyingly told him.

"What? Ah! It turns out that we're after the trail of a hacker named "Octopus – han" and we suspect he's been using the old WWW base as a base of operations." Enzan told him.

_Oh man. It turns out that the Net Police have also been misled by my decoy note… Can't be helped…_ Saito thought.

_But I still find the whole thing weird._ Netto insisted.

"… If you two are done chatting… Why don't we get on the move?"

"Did it really have to be a black chopper?" Saito questioned.

"Dunno. The Net Police only has one and it'd seem the usual one broke down, so they borrowed this one from the JSDF."

"Hum. But won't I be a bother? I don't have a Navi…" Saito brought up this flaw.

"I need someone to stay in the chopper and keep an eye out." Enzan simply replied.

"Couldn't you call Laika to do this?" Saito questioned.

"He's in Oosaka searching for that "Octopus – han"."

_This reeks a lot. Something is making my subconscious ring alarm bells on me._ Saito warned Netto.

_Let's follow their game and try to see if we can find out what's really going on_. Netto suggested.

"Do me a favor and hold these while I start up the chopper." Enzan told him as he handed him the canteen bottles.

He climbed into the chopper and began to engage it: Saito opened one canteen bottle and discreetly tossed some of the water out of it and into the ground before he closed it and waited.

"All's green: you can climb in!" Enzan announced.

Saito climbed and sat on the right seat while Enzan finished the checks: he stored the canteen bottles on the back area.

"Take-off!"

The chopper lifted off and began to fly away: Saito immediately realized another thing which was out of place.

_If we were going to the WWW Base, then we'd be heading south-west. But we're going in the north-east direction instead. _Saito pointed out.

_I didn't know Enzan knew how to manually fly a chopper…_ Netto sounded surprised.

Saito inwardly gasped and looked at the pilot's waist: there was no PET II pouch there.

_This guy ain't Enzan!_

_Then who is he?_ Netto wondered.

… _I'm sure the water had a sleeping drug mixed with it. I'll pretend to fall asleep and hope they'll reveal their true colors._ Saito announced.

He yawned, stretched and slowly closed his eyes to make it look like he'd really fallen for the trap: he kept the left eye slightly open to be able to look at the glass reflection of the right side of the cabin.

"Heh. It was a piece of cake." The imposter muttered aloud in a familiar tone of voice.

_Damn. I know that voice._ Saito inwardly cursed.

_I also do._ Netto hissed.

Some data dematerialized and gave way to Shirakami, who had a big grin on his face: he was concentrated on flying the chopper.

_Shirakami. But something tells me that it ain't about "that" this time around. _Saito announced.

_Do you think that they've found out about the algorithm? Shirakami was a parasite mind. He could've noticed it without us two realizing._ Netto inwardly gasped.

_Yeah. I'm sure it's the case. We must be heading to the "Dimensional Area Facility"... Listen: when he's distracted running the checks to shut down the chopper, I'll kick him outta it, take control, and go home. Whaddya think?_ Saito exposed.

_I like it. Let's do it!_ Netto inwardly smiled.

"Yo! Forte. Piece of a cake… I'm heading there. Get ready to warp me there to skip the long trip to that place: it's close to Jawaii hence the time there was Honolulu's time frame…"

"Sure. Gimme a minute to load the "Dimensional Converter" up and warp you directly over the place… I'll upload the control program in the chopper's computer just in case…" Forte replied.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh! We're so clever!"

09:58 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Hum…"

Commissioner Kifune was working on his office when Superintendent Manabe entered, looking worried.

"Commissioner: did you order Enzan – kun to take Netto - kun with him on a mission?" She asked.

"No!" He immediately replied.

"Well then… How do you explain that Enzan – kun borrowed our black KA-62 chopper and took Netto - kun along? The security footage shows that he claimed he was on a mission to find trails of "Octopus – han" in the old "WWW" Base…" Manabe trailed off.

"Devil! Manabe – kun: call an emergency meeting and order our men to activate the chopper's tracer! It's the enemy!" Kifune gasped and stood up.

"R-roger, sir!"

Manabe ran out and found Misaki walking up a corridor.

"Detect Misaki! There's trouble!"

"What's the problem, Superintendent Manabe?"

"Well! That's…!"

"Detective Misaki. The "Darkloid" Gravity Man is attacking a research facility close by. We should reply to the attack." Prism Man suddenly reported.

"Huh! Go there. We'll handle the problem here… Somehow! I've got to contact Laika – kun and Enzan – kun. Netto – kun has been abducted by the enemy and taken somewhere!"

"What! Ah, the villains! Let's go, Prism Man! Time to make them pay for their evil acts…! I've seen that guy's battle data… And we can defeat them with a strategy I've thought of…! Be strong, Netto – kun!"

15:15 PM (Honolulu Time), Monday July the 9th…

"… Here we are~…!"

The helicopter was warped over an island which had a "volcano" structure built on it and was surrounded by fences on ground level: a tower with a glass dome came into view: it was surrounded by various levels of circular catwalks.

"Heh, heh, heh!"

The chopper touched down in a helipad and Shirakami began to run the checks to shut it down.

_Chance!_

"You're fired, doppelganger!" He yelled.

"Huh? Wha!"

He delivered a well-placed punch on his left cheek and kicked him on the chest emblem with the right foot, kicking him out of the chopper and into the helipad.

"Oof!"

Before he could recover, Saito sat down on the pilot's seat and pulled the controls downwards to fly upwards.

"What's going on?"

"T-they're running away!"

"Crap!"

Forte had come into the helipad, surprised at seeing the chopper leaving and found Shirakami sitting on the ground, rubbing his left cheek and his chest emblem because they were still hurting.

"Do something!" Shirakami cursed.

"… Okay. We've exited the structure, so we now simply have to head south-west. I'll turn on the program to warp." Saito reported.

_Good. I loved how you kicked the dude outta the chopper._ Netto sounded amused.

A red pilot labeled "AUTO MODE" suddenly turned on and the controls locked up: the chopper's blades began to rotate on reverse, making it descend.

"Damn! It's you-know-who! The lowlife has hijacked the computer!" Saito cursed aloud.

_Oh! Damn! We forgot that they are cooperating together even though they just had a radio exchange! What do we do? _Netto cursed.

"… Maybe if I break this computer I can recover manual mode… Here goes nothing!" Saito muttered.

He used one of the canteens to shatter the computer's LCD screen (one glass shard made a cut on his left cheek) and he ripped some wires apart in a brusque manner.

"Here! Did that do it?"

The result was unexpected: the chopper simply stopped functioning and began to fall down.

"Ops. Guess not… Time to grab the parachute and get out through the side-door…!" He muttered.

Before he could react, something hit him on the back of the head and he lost consciousness.

"Whack!"

Forte picked him and jumped out the chopper as it violently crashed into the helipad and caught fire plus caused an explosion when the gasoline got ignited: it began to smoke.

"Damn it. Let's try to put that out…"

"Huh? Weird. I got a warning that the warp program's been transferred out of the chopper to ALL Net Police choppers… Who the heck would do that? Anyway… Let's get them to the central room quickly."

15:33 PM (Honolulu Time)…

".. O~w… My skull… it aches…"

Saito slowly regained consciousness: the back of his head hurt a lot.

"Where am I…?"

He looked around and saw that he was sitting on a metallic armchair and there were some restrains placed over his wrists and ankles.

"Oh fuck."

The armchair was the only piece of furniture inside of a largely unlit metallic room: a glass dome could be seen set higher in the ceiling and some dimmed light was amplified to illuminate the central part of the room but the rest of it was unlit.

_At least I'm fully dressed, so they're just aiming to use my algorithm to start up this machine… I have a band-aid on the left cheek, too… Guess I should've thought it twice before doing that of the canteen to begin with: I actually pulled some wires belonging to the ignition system for the chopper hence why it halted._ He thought.

_I'm sure that you-know-who actually went and hit us on the back of the head. I guess the chopper must be a pile of scrap by now. There goes out ride back home… If only we could hijack a "Dimensional Converter" somehow…_ Netto sounded resigned.

_Well. But I'm sure the Net Police will soon catch up and come to give us a hand… We can't give up hope!_ Saito rallied.

He heard footsteps coming in and he wasn't surprised in the least to see Shirakami, although he had to repress a shiver when he saw Forte.

"So! How did you find out, you two?" He decided to go straight to the point.

"_Aibou_ had the thought one night and I then confirmed it."

"And now you want to cover the planet in a "Dimensional Area" and rule everything, right?"

"Absolutely. You've done your research."

"So? What's the catch? I'm sure that the "Darkloids" will be tackled by those three Navis by now."

"Hah. Three of them against… What. 8 of them?" Forte laughed.

"Oh yeah? Didn't you fear Omega's potential?" Saito grinned.

"Crap. Spoke too soon…" He grumbled.

"Well. But we'll make a nice display of power." Shirakami teased.

"Yeah? By fooling around…?"

"Nope. By using _this_…"

Shirakami brought up a holographic screen which was showing the power programs.

"Heh, heh, heh!"

He unveiled an unidentified shape in the midst of the virtual room: it was a huge robot in shape of a titan, with clawed arms and legs.

The heard looked like a wolf's, with the eyes being the glass of cockpits built inside of its body.

"Also… I thought you were smart, Saito! But trying to destroy the computer could've cost you two your lives. The chopper depends on the computer to function." Shirakami pointed out.

"But I bailed you two outta there just in time: the thing is still out there, being a charred piece of scrap. The smoke will surely guide the Net Police here." Forte announced.

"… Why don't we get this on? The sooner we start the sooner it'll end."

"You asked for it." Forte shrugged.

Having said that, Forte placed a device over his eyes and one of them was secured open: they then walked away, both of them muttering something amongst themselves.

"Hmpf."

Saito prepared himself, breathing deeply, as a laser came out of the ceiling, and started to read the algorithm.

"Huh! Concentrate… This is but a tickling sensation…!"

"Mwah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah…!"

"Oi, Forte… Did you laugh like that?"

"No. And I'm sure it wasn't Rock Man either."

"What damned foolish guys!"

"Wha~t?"

"Who goes there?"

"The man who will surpass you lowlifes…!"

"Damn. "Nebula Grey" joins the party too?" Saito cursed.

Two halves of a spheroid which contained many devices inside closed around him thus isolating him inside of the space.

"Hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah!"

"Oi! Say a name!" Forte yelled outside.

"Who the heck are ya?" Shirakami demanded next.

"Hmpf! "Nebula Grey"! The incarnation of Evil! The Demon Tribe Chief who will eventually achieve ultimate evolution into the Demon God and then will be the figure which will rule the surface world while IQ – sama rules the underground!" The man proclaimed.

A holographic screen popped out in front of Saito but he couldn't really see it with one eye blocked and the other being forced open and his retinal pattern being scanned by the laser beam.

"The Net Police dogs are coming, Rock Man… Will that make you feel like there's still hope or you will curse yourself for luring them into their meaningless dramatic demises? Hah, hah, hah!"

10:53 AM (Japan Time), Tuesday July the 10th…

"… Boss. It's started."

"I know, Daratsu…"

Vadous was looking at the LCD screen which displayed a man dressed like a _ninja_ was being displayed over it.

He wore a black wool cloth and pants like a real _ninja_, sported IR goggles and carried a _katana_ sheath on his back.

His chest had the Alphabet "D" letter stamped on it colored purple.

He looked about a meter and eighty tall, more or less.

The man seemed to be standing in one of the facility's circular catwalks.

"I know. I'm just sending out the orders. The trio will take on any "Darkloid" and Viruses. We five, you included, will be in there. Kuro Kaze will assist you in the sabotage of the programs." Vadous ordered.

"Good. I'll be on standby."

"Excellent."

For the first time, light shone on Vadous' face.

He was a man on his early twenties, with black hair and blue eyes.

He then put on a helmet, a mouth guard with a respirator and two hexagons which covered his eyes, allowing see to see through the glass they were made of.

It rather looked like a rip-off from the _Star Wars_ films.

"Lartes? Everyone? Are you all ready?" He asked over a radio channel he'd turned on.

"Yeah. We're ready to bust 'em." Lartes confirmed.

"Good! Let's go!"

"YEAH!"

02:02 AM (Island Time)…

"… My, my…"

Dr. Spimer was using a black-colored PET II while standing inside of a hanger building.

He wore aviator's gear today: it consisted of a brown leather jacket, jeans, military boots, aviator goggles (currently hanging from his neck) and a brown leather helmet.

The screen displayed satellite feed of the event: the island's "volcano" had several "Dimensional Generator" satellite antennas which were shooting out streams of energy towards the sky above it and forming a huge spheroid of white energy: the skies over it were already covered by a "Dimensional Area" and it seemed to be expanding gradually in a slow but vast manner.

_They'll get a lesson that'll make Napoleon's Waterloo look in pale in comparison! Heh, heh, heh! Monsieurs: aux armes! Je les vais jeter par-dessus bord! I'll force them to jump off-board! _

Grinning, he climbed into the ample commercial-plane-like cockpit of black-colored advanced-looking combat jet: he sat down on the pilot's seats and booted everything up.

"_Avant_! Full speed!"

The plane ignited some boosters and a rectangular grid was deployed in a 45º angle from the ground some meters beneath as the hanger's front doors opened to reveal the blackened icy landscape: the only lights were the take-off runway's own lights.

"Ignition!"

The boosters began to vomit their propeller mass in combustion and the jet shot forward: Dr. Spimer calmly gradually pulled the control stick downwards and the jet began to lift and climb into the skies.

"Since I can do sub-orbital glides then the trip will be very fast… Get ready, spoiled children… The adults came to punish you… Heh, heh, heh!"


	21. Chapter 21: Strategic thinking

**Chapter 21: Strategic thinking**

16:14 PM (Honolulu Time), Monday July the 9th…

"… I can't come any closer! The safety program won't allow me to: that hot wreckage is identified as a threat to the landing!"

"Okay!"

The pilot of the Net Police chopper was keeping the chopper hovering five meters above the closest catwalk: the smoking remains of the black KA-62 chopper could be seen nearby.

"Ready, Laika?" Enzan asked him.

"Yeah." Laika confirmed.

"Synchro Chip, Slot In! CROSS FUSION!" Both announced.

Enzan performed "Cross Fusion" and ended up with his already know designed as he landed on the ground.

"Yours ain't that bad, Laika."

"Hmpf. Guess that."

"CF" Laika's design had him gain green-colored armor over his upper torso and gray shoulder-plates to protect them: when the armor formed over his body the bodysuit spread from its openings: the bodysuit's color was plain black with two white-like stripes running down across the length of his body's sides.

Armor surrounded the whole diameter of his neck and a circular helmet made of gray and green armor formed: transparent orange-tinted shades lowered over his eyes and the radio antenna Search Man had was incorporated there too.

Cylindrical armor with two thick circles after the elbows and over the wrists formed over his forearms: fingerless "gloves" protected the hands and Search Man's emblem formed over them.

The boots' design had an oval-shaped piece of armor over the knees.

They allowed for some gaps around the knees half-way across the feet's length: they had an irregular shape.

The "Scope Gun" formed as a detached weapon which was just like any normal real weapon and it wasn't a built-in component: Laika picked it and held it with his right hand.

"Let's go and… Whoa!"

"What?"

They began to head for the central tower when a purple flash appeared out of nowhere and a Time-Space vortex opened: both readied their defaults weapons (the Long Sword and the Scope Gun) and stepped back as four persons came out of the space-time vortex, which closed immediately afterwards.

Three of them wore armor pieces all over their bodies, and the only differences were the fact that two of them only had one sword while one had two swords.

They all had different chest emblems which had an Alphabet letter engraved there colored purple.

The three armored men looked like rip-offs from the _Star Wars_ movies.

The fourth person was dressed like a _ninja_ and also had an Alphabet letter stamped on his tunic's chest area: he sported IR goggles.

"Relax. We're on the same side." The man with two swords announced in a calm tone.

"Who are you?" They both asked.

"… For the time being… Think of us as freelancers. We're here to stop the Evil Duo." The lead man (the one with two sword sheaths) announced in a calm tone.

"So? This is their plan?" "CF" Blues questioned.

"Yeah. And the point of it is that they've got a giant death mobile machine inside of the Cyber World."

"What?"

"They're waiting for the "Dimensional Area" to fully deploy before coming out and trying to be the Evil Kings." The lead man announced.

"… I'd say we solve this and then we'll ask the rest of the stuff. What's the plan?" "CF" Blues suggested before asking.

"We firstly need to shut off the four energy programs. Then we need to destroy the fifth one installed inside that death mobile. Only then we will be able to stop this piece of scrap and free them. The only pity is that I still don't know how to kick Shirakami out of Saito's Navi body…" He trailed off.

"Can you at least tell us your names?" "CF" Laika requested.

At that moment, another _ninja_ came out of nowhere, landing besides the group of four.

"I'm Vadous." The man with the two swords announced.

"Lartes." The man with an "L" character engraved on the chest armor let out.

"Kir Osh." The third armored warrior with a "K" set on on his emblem shrugged.

"Daratsu." The _ninja_ with the "D" letter told them while bringing his right hand to the _katana_'s hilt.

"Kuro Kaze." This second _ninja_ had the initials "K2" stamped on his tunic's torso.

"There's no need for you to introduce yourselves: I know that you're "Net Saviors"..." Vadous told the two of them.

"Wasn't it obvious?" "CF" Laika asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"I don't mind some jokes, but I'd rather say we focus on the matter at hand." "CF" Blues told "CF" Laika.

"You're right: this has priority number 1."

"Lartes: you go after the first. Daratsu will guide you. Kir Osh: you and Kro Kaze go after the second. Laika - kun, Enzan - kun… The third is yours. I'll personally take care of the fourth. Our tactical frequency is 140.95. And before you ask… I'll admit that I got our armor design from _Star_ _Wars_: I'm a copycat." Vadous instructed before admitting the fact.

"How do we find those programs?" "CF" Blues asked.

Vadous handed them schematics of the facility's levels and corridors in which he'd marked the locations of the programs with red "X" marks on four rooms.

"Once the programs are out, we can access the core section and attack those guys head – on. It won't be that difficult. While they're up and running there'll be no way to access the core section: there's a barrier defending it."

They all split in the assigned groups and headed in different directions using ramps and stairways.

"… Just _where_ did _those freaks_ come out of?" Shirakami commented while eyeing the real-world camera footage: he looked totally baffled.

"… Can you contact any of the "Darkloids"?" Forte asked.

"Hello? Burner Man?"

"Grah! The three jerks are here, _Danna_! Sword Man's been blown up, Spark Man went next and now Star Man!" Burner Man reported amongst cries and yells in the background.

"Shit. They plan on blowing all us up today!" Shirakami cursed aloud.

"I won't go down so easily~! Burning… JET!"

"Hmpf. Come." Omega's dull voice rang out.

TCHACH!

"MUGRA~H!"

KZZZZZ!

"Damn it. Burner Man's down too."

"Gravity Man should give them trouble…" Forte muttered.

"… No response… I guess that "trouble" means that he ran into that Sigma giant and got blown to pieces." Shirakami sighed.

"Damn. We could've used their help. If things look sour we could make a "Soul Unison"..." Forte sighed and then suggested one resource.

"Really?"

"But it'll only hold for about five minutes. Our "Ultimate Programs" are way too different to be able to properly synchronize."

"It's a last resource, then…" Shirakami muttered

"Yeah. That sums it up."

"… Vicious Fire!"

"Decisive Hit!"

Lartes and Daratsu attacked the program (a glowing white spheroid of energy two meters tall) at the same time: the program had materialized as a result of the "Dimensional Area" covering the building.

"Eat these!"

Lartes formed a steam fire which emerged from his sword, while Daratsu made a back flip on the air and horizontally slashed it with his _katana_: a shield around the program cracked and shattered.

"Unending Cyclone!"

"Forbidden Ability!"

A tornado engulfed the program, while Daratsu let the tornado spin him around and he performed several slashes on it: the mass soon brightened and stated to explode before it broke down into raw data.

"There's one down!" Lartes reported via the radio.

"Heh. My _katana _cuts them all!"

16:20 PM (Honolulu Time)…

"… One program is down. How much time until the "Dimensional Area" has expanded enough?"

"Two minutes."

Shirakami he eyed the diagnostics from the death mobile's cockpit monitors and then glanced at Forte who glanced at his screens.

"I hope it'll be enough."

"We still have the main program inside this thing." Forte tried to relieve him.

"But we need it to power this thing." Shirakami reminded him raising an eyebrow.

"... Yeah. I'd forgotten…" Forte scratched the back of his head and sounded like he'd forgotten about it.

"It's funny for someone like you to forget things." Shirakami looked somewhat skeptical.

"… Mighty Wave!"

"Five Sword!"

Kir Osh and Kuro Kaze made short work of the barrier, combining water with a five – slash combo.

"Great Avalanche!"

"Five Sword!"

A burst of rocks fell on the program, combined with a horizontal slash of the _katana_ took down another program which turned into raw bytes and bits.

"Two down…" Kir Osh reported.

"We're making progress…" Kuro Kaze muttered next.

"… Fifty seconds left." Forte announced.

"And we still have two programs left."

"I know that. It'd seem it was a wise decision to put so much distance between each other: it'll help us win some seconds." Forte commented with a smile.

"I picked the idea off an RPG game." Shirakami grinned.

"… Scope Gun!"

"Sonic Boom!"

"CF" Blues and "CF" Laika attacked the barrier with their default attacks and managed to cripple it.

"Variable Sword!"

"Mega Cannon!"

The two attacks absolutely blasted the program away into a series of explosions until it was no more.

"Three down…" "CF" Blues muttered.

"We're closer." "CF" Laika muttered.

"… Fifteen seconds…" Shirakami reported.

"We're so close…! Besides! The designers set the place up so that even if the main power is cut off, the backup generators will ensure to provide enough energy to at least finish the whole booting up process. Once the "Dimensional Area" covers the whole word… Then we'll go down in history! Heh, heh, heh! Heh, heh, heh!" Forte grinned as he explained this fact.

"Yeah. Sure. The men who go down in history as its villains are never stable."

"Where did ya get that from?" Forte asked.

"I'm not sure: I picked it off from a forum but I can't remember who posted it… I think it was a foreigner given their username but…" Shirakami frowned.

"… CHAOS BEAM!"

Vadous clasped both hands together and shot a stream of black energy from his chest emblem.

"EAT THIS!"

The brutal attack shattered the barrier _and_ the program before he fell to his knees, panting heavily: he then realized something.

_Shit! The backup generators!_ _I saw them on the schematics and we don't have time to stop them! _He inwardly cursed.

"… Five… Four… Three… Two… One… NOW!" Both Forte and Shirakami announced with eagerness.

The monster jumped into the portal over its head and dematerialized: "Nebula Grey" formed inside of the Cyber World.

"MUGRO~H!"

"Hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah! This facility is interesting! Maybe I'll use it on the future even… It could come in handy! Hah, hah, hah! Let's let those two have their show for the time being… I've got some plans which will soon be put into motion… Feel the terror and fear! Hah, hah, hah!"

The "Dimensional Generator" placed outside of the island had finished emitting energy and were about to enter reserve mode in case they needed to be used again.

"Here comes the army~!"

However, a burst of missiles bombarded all of them, followed by machine gun fire and a laser which incinerated the cooling fluid, making the backup generators (from which they drew their energy) overheat and explode.

"Too easy, gentlemen."

The "Mega Hurricane" flew past them and then spotted some AAC turrets which had popped out: the jet opened the nose and revealed a laser gun which shot a continuous laser beam: it cut the rotating base of each gun and they became disabled while Dr. Spimer chuckled under his breath.

11:31 AM (Japan Time), Tuesday July the 10th…

"… Tremble, world!"

They had materialized it in the midst of a deserted highway: the robot made a deep and fierce dinosaur – like roar and began to walk forward while crushing or kicking anything in its way.

"We managed to complete the booting procedure even thought the backup generators have been destroyed. The core program will make sure to keep the "Dimensional Area" stable. The barrier around the central tower has fallen, though." Shirakami reported.

"Then those guys will be able to get in. But they won't dare to interrupt the reading of the algorithm in case it could damage Rock Man's eye. Hmmm… Do you think that we've lost our chance to play some S&M with them?" Forte thought aloud before asking Shirakami.

"I guess we'll have to wait for things to cool off. But we'll eventually find a chance: no-one is perfect." Shirakami grinned.

"It's a deal, then. Oi! Didn't ya hear the siren? Scram! Move your fat ass, you moron! Or are ya deaf? HUH?" Forte nodded before he engaged the outer speakers to sound intimidating.

"We're the bosses in here in case ya didn't know! And we're gonna show ya guys that this ain't a prop stolen from _Gojira_'s studio set: it's for real, fellas!" Shirakami announced next.

"I've gotten an idea! Let's go make some redecoration of the Net Police HQ. It looks way too ugly." Forte suddenly suggested to Shirakami in a hushed tone.

"Listen, fellas! We're gonna redecorate this town: it'll be named Broken Façade Town!" Shirakami announced.

"Heh, heh, heh! Tremble, dudes! The tax inspector is gonna come to drain the money outta you guys!" Forte added.

"And with it… We'll become millionaires! We're so brilliant, really, and ya can't come any close to matching our brains! Heh, heh, heh!"

"MUGRO~H!"

"What the… That thing again…!"

"Shit."

"Mwah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah!"

"You freak! Whaddya want?"

"Answer us!"

"Hah! To create terror and fear wherever I go to~! You miserable foolish brats!"

"Nebula Grey" suddenly formed atop a high-rise building along with the face which began to taunt them.

"What, you're a "Darkloid" too or what?" Forte demanded.

"Don't associate me with those pathetic residues of the Cyber World! I am evolution! I have evolved! Into the ultimate existence which can't age or grow old! A cybernetic data being! A being that will live on and witness the future of destruction! Mwah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah!"

"This guy's either nuts or thinks he's intimidating…" Shirakami muttered with some annoyance.

"Totally." Forte sighed.

"You two are pale compared to the "Palace"!"

"Huh? "Palace"? What. Some night-club…?"

"The ultimate dungeon…! Impossible to locate… Invisible… Self-autonomous for months on end… Those who enter never come out! They become but merchandise to be used over and over again using countless arts! Mwah, hah, hah! Hah, hah! Hah, hah! Farewell, you damned herd of foolish humans' puppets! Mwah, hah, hah, hah!"

"That guy's NUTS. TOTALLY." Forte grumbled.

"Who the hell are they to begin with?"


	22. Chapter 22: Violent Battle

**Chapter 22: Violent Battle**

16:50 PM (Honolulu Time), Monday July the 9th…

"… Good. We've all gathered back."

The group of seven had gathered in front of the central tower's doors: they were made of steel and looked reinforced.

"How are we gonna open them?" "CF" Blues asked.

"It's pointless to force them: your "Cross Fusion" weapons won't work and ours won't, either." Vadous replied.

"And they're manually unlocked from the inside… The military was not taking any risks." "CF" Laika grumbled.

They suddenly heard a strange loud whistle which sounded like a jet plane's engines.

"The cavalry has arrived, it'd seem. Let's step aside." Vadous muttered with a hint of amusement before signaling the circular catwalk with his left arm.

They ran some distance from the entrance and witnessed an advanced-looking combat jet vertically descending and touching down in the spot where the central catwalk began.

The jet was all colored black and had a clearly aerodynamic form, and, instead of a cockpit, it had a Plexiglas windshield and an access door built on the left side of its body.

"Heh, heh. This is the Mega Hurricane. It's owned by an acquaintance of me." Vadous announced.

"You called him?" "CF" Laika asked.

"No. He got a hold of it and told me he was joining the party."

The Mega Hurricane opened its front part, shaped like a cone, and revealed one heavy laser cannon: the missiles on the wings were armed and ready as well as two machineguns.

"Look on."

The laser was engaged and it impacted on the middle of the doors, causing some of the steel to melt and weakening the spot: six missiles were shot out and they hit the door on the weakened spot, causing a brutal explosion along with smoke.

"Whoa."

When the smoke cleared, the middle section of the doors was gone and a gaping hole allowed the way in.

"Heh, heh."

The entrance door of the plane opened by lowering into the ground, revealing a stair built inside for easy climb and descent: Dr. Spimer walked down the stairs while humming a tune.

"_Bon jour, messiers_." He greeted in French.

"_Bon jour, messier le Doctor. Eh bien…?"_ Vadous greeted back before asking.

"_Les machines avec detroyés. Avant, enfants de la patrie! Aux armes!"_ Dr. Spimer rallied.

"You heard him: go ahead!" Vadous translated.

They rushed inside of the room and spotted the spheroid which had closed around the armchair: it looked very solid and resistant, and, apart from it, there was nothing else on the room.

"Do we tear it apart, Boss?" Lartes asked.

"No. We could hurt them. And stopping the laser scanner suddenly could damage his eye. We just need to wait. Omega and his two men are on their way to fight that thing as we speak." Vadous replied.

"I think they'll need heavy artillery." Dr. Spimer suggested, now speaking in Japanese.

"Hmmm… Indeed, Doctor. Let us say that it's just in case."

"_Oui. Au revoir, messiers. Aux armes!"_ He nodded in agreement before making a rally cry and running out.

They heard the sound of the Mega Hurricane's engines turning on and the plane lifted off.

"So! Where do you come from?" "CF" Blues wanted the chance to have some answers.

"… Believe it or not, I'm a clone." Vadous suddenly let out.

"What!" Both gasped.

As if to make it clearer, he removed the mouth guard, the eye protection and helmet: his face resembled that of Netto's with some traits of Saito, although clearly older and more developed.

"I am twenty-two years old. I was made to be approximately ten years older than them. 90% of my DNA is a mix of both of them; the rest is intentionally mutated." He announced.

"Whoa." Both gasped in surprise.

"I lead an organization I founded: the Sub Space. Dr. Spimer leads another two organizations: the Cypher Syndicate and the Council of Armies. However, we both agree on something: we despise killing, organized crime and criminals who think they can get away with it." Vadous announced, summarizing.

"And why would someone bother to… Eh… Why would they bother to _create_ you, Mr. Vadous?" "CF" Blues asked.

"There was nothing philanthropic behind it: the one behind it was a criminal mastermind who had amassed a lot of power and begun to research on its own. It wanted me to be their "Dark" side, but when I saw the countless victims who'd suffered because of that individual, I broke free and brought it down. That was more or less after the Desert Man Incident." Vadous explained.

"Wow. So… You, sir, seek to keep tabs on dangerous elements for society?" "CF" Laika assumed.

"That sums it up. That's why I mobilized the "Committee" to watch over both of them. I had a feeling someone could try targeting them and the Desert Man Incident showed me that Regal was ready to go to the end of killing for his mad schemes. When I was trying to gather enough intelligence to leak it to the Net Police so that he could be formerly arrested, the _Crisis_ happened."

"And that's when Omega appeared, right?"

"Yeah. We almost got a hold of the culprit but he somehow managed to escape us plus one little mistake from my part too…"

"I see… And placing Enkada – sensei on that gym was your idea of a security measure, too?" "CF" Blues asked next.

"Yeah. Mr. Denpa is a person in whom I have relied in the past and he always was disposed to give me a hand, so he assumed the role of a self-defense teacher. I believed it would come in helpful." Vadous confirmed, sighing.

"And those other men…?" "CF" Laika asked.

"Oh. They are persons who sought goals of their own but were unable to accomplish them, so I took them in to fill the gaps in my organization. In fact, the first Navi I ever programmed was Omega. Blood and Sigma came later because I knew that having more agents would help when it came to searching multiple spots. When you began to notice them they were searching for Forte again to punish them."

"And, yet, he kept on eluding you gentlemen." "CF" Laika guessed.

"Correct. It was after I got a hold of the news regarding the tanker robbery that I realized why our searches were turning out in vain: he was using the real world as a hideout."

"Do you know anything about that "Octopus – han" hacker who has been rumored to break into two highly secure systems?" "CF" Blues asked.

"No. He broke into mine and Dr. Spimer's system to pick off the system index and the main user folders."

"Wow."

"I've asked Colonel Talos to look it up since he leads the Informatics Surveillance Department, but he admits that it's the first time he hasn't been able to find a hacker in less than 48 hours not even by luring it to accept a well-paid job." Vadous admitted, rolling his eyes.

"That's weird. Hackers or, rather, info-stealers _always_ seek to gain money with their acts." "CF" Blues muttered.

"True. Most people tend to say "hacker", but there are several sub-categories. We'd be talking about an info-stealer in this case." Vadous agreed on it.

A burst of static echoed in Vadous' helmet radio. Some shouts, yells, engine whistles and the sound of weapons could be heard on the background.

"Boss! I'm Omega. We've almost made it through the can of worms. It's full of eggs!" Omega reported with obvious sarcasm.

"Heh. I see you're somewhat good-humored today… Did Dr. Spimer give you three a hand?" Vadous assumed.

"Yeah. Thank him. He's kept the Evil Duo busy and helped disable its main systems with well-laid shots. He'll be slicing this up soon enough. These two didn't think it from the beginning to the end to begin with: they wanted to try to overcome Regal's plan but his plan was more a need than a caprice…" Omega reported.

"Speaking of which…! What became of the "Cybernetic God"?" "CF" Blues suddenly asked.

"Oh. The CG… No big deal. I used a gigantic Time – Space warp-hole which plunged them into the depths of the Milky Way. Their speed is high but you can't overcome 25,000 light-years so easily. By the time they reach Earth we won't be around to see it. Who knows? Maybe there'll be no humanity left by then… But let's not be so pessimistic. Point is: he'll never come with the motto of "this flawed-evolution Network must be fixed no matter what" but that means erasing everything."

"Erasing is fixing? What the hell?" "CF" Laika cursed.

"Yeah, I know. From what little I have on them it'd seem that they're obsessed with "perfection" and they simply consider any planets having a Network a "danger" to the Universe… Wily described the guy… His own words were "an extraterrestrial Net Navi created by scientific planet hundreds of light-years away from Earth in past ages…!"…"

"Yikes." Both muttered.

"I know. But I dunno where the name "Cybernetic God" originated because the guy didn't seem to use it himself. Guess it's an impression it produced upon Regal and Yuriko and they stuck to naming them like that because maybe they don't know their name."

"Could be…"

"Mwah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah! _Kyoudai_~!"

"What the hell."

"That guy…! "Nebula Grey"!"

"So that's the guy Zero talked about? Where are you, Admin? Show your ugly hide!" Vadous challenged.

"Not "Admin"! "Nebula Grey"!"

"MUGRO~H!"

The "monster" projected over the spheroid and the "face" formed in front of it: everyone stepped back as if it scared the hell outta them: the face formed a big grin next.

"Whatever. If you called me "kyoudai" then that's gotta be because you're one of the two which came after me. Number 2? Or number 3? Which one will it be? "Nebula Grey"!" Vadous challenged.

"Mwah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah!"

The phenomenon vanished and everyone sighed in relief.

"Che. Bothersome meddling guy… I'll expose you yet!"

12:02 PM (Japan Time), Tuesday July the 10th…

"… Ops."

"Shit."

The monster wasn't faring well at all: the main program could be seen acting as a heart, connected to multiple wires.

The whole chest armor was gone and there were traces of a laser beam, machinegun fire and Stinger explosions.

The arms were broken at the elbows, the knees splintered and revealing the data which flew inside of their frames.

Many burns and cracks covered the whole mechanical body. It looked about to explode.

The cabin was untouched since it'd been shielded with a strong energy field.

"Forte! This is _fucking_ _bad_. We can't resist much longer, and not even our combined firepower could take down that fighter plane. Nothing seems to even _scratch_ it." Shirakami cursed.

"I agree. When the unit falls completely, we log out. I have already prepared a connection back to the tanker. Guess we ought to have taken these guys into account." Forte explained before sighing in defeat and rolling his eyes.

"Yeah. We really should've done so. Be ready." Shirakami grumbled before warning Forte.

"… Mad Vulcan X!"

"Sigma Sword!"

"Omega Buster!"

The three attacks quickly destroyed what remained of the armor and the main program was now clearly visible.

"Do it now, Doc!" Omega rallied over the radio.

"_Aux armes!_" Dr. Spimer rallied.

The Mega Hurricane dived towards the monster and it flew _through_ it, emerging without a single scratch from behind it and easily turning around to look at its back.

"Escape!"

"Ou!"

The main program shone and explosions began to shake the monster as to "LOGOUT" symbols could be seen inside of the cockpit: the monster roared one last time and the three Navis also fled the scene.

"Flee!"

The explosion was brutal, and it covered a radius of five hundred meters: anything on it was wholly annihilated or left in a wrecked status.

"Yikes."

A large patch of the highway was missing once the explosions died down and it was obvious that heavy repairs would be needed.

"Phew. We won, somehow." Omega sighed in relief as he looked on from a high-rise building.

"Yes, Commander Omega, sir."

"Man. This was a tough guy. But at least the "Darkloids" are gone by now… Save for Shade Man and Bubble Man… But those two aren't worrisome so we could let them loose a bit…"

"True. Shade Man will only rule over a heap of raw data." Omega formed a smug smile, for once.

"Truly, sir. Maybe they'll become like Saruman and Worm-tongue in the _Lord of the Rings_ books, sir… They'll have to learn to bear each other despite hating each other to death…" Blood Shadow added with a grin.

"Oho. Scary, scary~… But they don't have a magic orb so… They don't know what to throw at the paparazzi. Mwah, hah, hah, hah…"

17:09 PM (Honolulu Time), Monday July the 9th…

"… Look, Boss!"

"Yeah… They did it."

The core hissed and a cloud of steam emerged from it as it rotated and split in two, reveling Netto's body strapped to the chair: Vadous quickly rushed to him and took out the device: an ugly bruise could be seen on the right eye's lid and he seemed unconscious.

"It's alright. I guess he fainted." Vadous announced.

He easily broke the restrains and carefully supported his body as he walked towards Enzan, who held him by leaning him on his back: both he and Laika had cancelled their "Cross Fusions" since the "Dimensional Area" had collapsed.

"It's over, Enzan - sama." Blues announced.

"The Evil F.C. loses ten to zero." Search Man announced while trying to ease the atmosphere.

"That's so true. The Great F.C. swept the ground with them standing on it too." Laika grinned.

"That's some humor for a military background guy like you. I thought you were way more serious to begin with…" Enzan told him with an unimpressed look.

"We'll meet again very soon indeed. Good-bye!"

He took out a remote-like device and inputted some commands on it: the purple Time-Space vortex appeared with a blinding purple flash and the five of them quickly jumped inside before it closed five seconds later.

"Whoa." Both Laika and Enzan were baffled.

"Heh. My superior will scold me once I write the report for thinking in movies instead of the job." Laika put up a smug smile.

"Yeah. And the Commissioner won't believe a single word of it, either..."

"I find it hard to believe." Search Man commented.

"But it was reality." Blues argued.

"In any case… Let's go and head back to the city. This one needs to explain."

"Oh come on! Give him a break, will ya? He's obviously exhausted. I'll drop him home and tell the Commissioner to wait until tomorrow for the debriefing." Enzan grumbled.

"Okay, Mr. Vice President." Laika put up his smug smile again.

"Mwah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah!"

"Not you again…! What do you want now?" Enzan groaned.

"Yeah. State your purpose." Laika grumbled.

"Hmpf! This is but a bittersweet victory!"

"We knew that. Go tuna." Blues folded his arms.

"Leave us alone." Search Man snapped.

"When those two brats are outta the way then… Even if it takes some years' time… I will rise! You've been warned, kids. And he who warns a traitor is not… Or so they say. Heh, heh, heh, heh."

"MUGRO~H!"

"Go to the Bahamas." Enzan fumed.

"Go to Siberia."

"And I'll expose the history of the gulags along the way… Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… And the corpses buried under the tundra… The corpses which will come to haunt you once the T-Virus is unleashed by the vengeful James Marcus… Oh wait. That was 7 years ago already. No: the "Plagas" will spread and overwhelm you! Hah, hah, hah!"

"They're gone again…! They drive me mad!" Enzan fumed.

"Yeah. Sure. I wanna erase that smug smile from their face."


	23. Chapter 23: Peace, sweet peace

**Chapter 23: Peace, sweet peace**

13:43 PM (Japan Time), Tuesday July the 10th…

"… Huh… Hum… Nnn… Hun…"

Netto was lying in the bed in his room: he had a bandage covering the bruised eye and was on his pajamas: he was half-sleeping, but he'd sometimes mutter things.

"Let's leave him to sleep…"

Laika was eyeing the twins' collection of music so as to try to guess their tastes. Netto had admitted being exhausted, so they had decided to not ask him too many things.

_While Enzan tries to reason with the Commissioner, I'll stay to keep him company… Let's see what their musical tastes are… Ameroupan groups and Spanish ones, King Land, Japan and… There's also classical Italian and German opera?_ _I'm dumbfounded, for once!_

"Huh… Netto?"

"Hmmm?" He stirred from his half-asleep state.

"Does your brother have a taste for classical music?"

"Hmmm? Oh. No. Those are Papa's… He just thinks they make us look like we're cultured…" Netto lazily replied.

"I get it. By the way… Maybe we should tell you that we unmasked Mr. Sponsor. Or, rather, he unmasked himself." He explained with a broad grin on his face.

"… Huh… Fascinating… But… could you please… wait 'till tomorrow's… debriefing? My mind is foggy…" Netto let out a yawn.

"Of course."

"Well… If you need something… the computer's open to anyone… Don't make Search Man fish around… We have the right to some _privacy_… Got it…?"

"Thanks for the offer."

"Hmmm… I'm going to rest…"

"Go ahead."

Netto was soon deeply asleep, and Laika sat in front of the computer: he connected his PET II to the charger.

"Well. Search Man. Conduct an investigation of the "Darkloid" Castle: I think it must be empty by now." Laika commanded.

"Roger, Laika – sama."

While Search Man carried out his research, Laika began to browse around what was installed on the computer.

_Music players, video editors, games and emulators… Hmmm? An encryption program…? I guess it must be to secure their data against Viruses. I won't look too deep: I'd be violating their privacy._ Laika distractedly thought before spotting the program and deciding not to snoop too much.

He accessed the Internet and began to read some online press articles while humming a tune.

"… Wow."

"Oh crap."

Forte and Shirakami witnessed how the insides of the "Darkloid" castle had become absolute wreck: data remains were spilled everywhere, and signs of a large fight could be seen in all the corners: fortunately enough, Shirakami's room was untouched.

"That's some consideration, eh, Shirakami?"

"Yeah. But look at the rest before talking, Forte."

His throne wasn't so lucky, unfortunately: the back of it was ruined, and it was stained with burns, slashes, cracks and data remains.

"Oh man."

"Guess we gotta kiss farewell to the place."

"Yeah. No – one will bother to come here ever. Apart from Shade Man or Bubble Man: they might want to get nostalgic… If they know what "nostalgia" means to begin with…" Shirakami grumbled.

"Yeah… Hard to believe just 3 of them beat about what, 9 of them? Let me count them again… Cold Man, Star Man, Sword Man… Burner Man, Flash Man, Gravity Man… Bright Man, Spark Man… Video Man was deleted, Plant Man was deleted, Bowl Man was deleted… No, there were 8 of them excluding the exiles Bubble Man and Shade Man… Even though there were about 3 times their numbers they managed to best them… Sorry, I mean that there were 7 because Cold Man was deleted earlier… There were about two times their numbers and won."

"Those guys must've begun fighting each other to get the glory for each other: Burner Man might've been the only smart enough guy to realize what "team-work" meant…" Shirakami fumed.

A group of bats suddenly flew in and gathered into one spot to give way to Shade Man: he grinned.

"Oh lovely." Shirakami grumbled.

"Huh? What! You lowlifes… I thought you'd come out!" He grumbled as he stepped forward.

"Until a while ago, yeah… This castle's yours, Shade Man."

"Where are MY "Darkloids"?" He grumbled as he glanced around in a bad mood.

"Blame the "Subpsace". See ya."

"Get nostalgic."

Forte and Shirakami became data and fled while Shade Man snarled something.

"BUBBLE MAN!"

"YIKES! PUKU! S-S-Shade Man – sama? Puku?"

Bubble Man came out of hiding behind the armchair and gulped as Shade Man glared at him: Bubble Man got to his knees.

"What does this mean?"

"Puku! T-those Navis I talked about, puku… They've come to finish the "Darkloids" off, puku… And they must've done it, puku…!"

"What! 3 of them! Against… How many of them?"

"7, I believe… Puku…"

"Impossible! So that means that…! You and me are the only "Darkloids" left in the Cyber World?" He gasped.

"Puku! W-well, that Shirakami guy has "Darkloid Factors" on his body, or so I heard so… Technically… Puku…"

"DAMN THEM!"

"Yikes. Puku."

"FLEE~!"

Bubble Man didn't need to be told twice: he warped out while Shade Man unfolded his wings.

"Gruo~h! CRUSH NOISE~!"

He began to shoot supersonic waves around to cause further destruction and totally failed to notice Search Man looking from the opening in the outer body of the "castle" while using some kind of stealth camouflage: he formed a smug smile, for once.

"Good. With only those two left the "Darkloids" aren't a menace anymore: that Bubble Man is totally weak and useless, according to Rock Man, so we only got to mind Shade Man… But then again I'm sure Omega could easily dispatch him without having to sweat too much."

"DAMN YOU~! RIGAARU~!"

"Don't blame Regal: blame the "Subspace", you foolish "Darkloid"… Heh, heh, heh. Time to report to Laika – sama…"

13:56 PM (Japan Time)…

"Hum… Let's see."

Laika was examining the titles on the twins' library to see if he could find something to read.

_English manuals about computing, translated best-sellers, sci-fi… What else is here?_

"Laika – sama." Search Man called out as returned into the PET II.

"How was it like, Search Man?" Laika asked.

"They've moved out to the tanker. I must admit that I have been impressed by the _redecoration_ the place has gone through. Shade Man and Bubble Man showed up but Shade Man is only going into a berserk rampage blaming Regal while Bubble Man ran for his hide." He admitted with a smile.

"Heh. Too bad Regal's not to blame this time around… But we should keep tabs on the guy: he's got access to "Dimensional Converters" and could use them to go into a real world rampage looking for Regal to have him pay for his betrayal and take-over…" Laika muttered.

"True, sir. Maybe we should place "Killer Eyes" there, sir."

"It's not a bad idea. That Zero guy can take care of that, I believe. Too bad, Shade Man. You're a king without servants. Do us a favor and get into the range of Omega's sword to be cut and sliced up. This way your threat will vanish." Laika smiled.

"Laika – sama, sir. Blues just sent an email: his Operator is heading over here." Search Man announced.

"Is he a mind reader or what? The timing is _too_ perfect!" Laika exclaimed with some sarcasm.

"Last time I checked, he wasn't."

Laika put up his smug smile for a second before exiting the room and climbing downstairs.

"Huh, hum."

Haruka was reading a magazine and she looked up with a smile.

"Leaving, Laika – san?" She asked.

"Enzan is coming. And I need to attend the debriefing." He politely replied, taking off the cap.

"That's obvious, Laika – san. Have a nice day." Haruka smiled at him again.

"Thank you, Hikari – san."

Laika got out at the same time Enzan's limo stopped and he climbed out: Laika purposely stood on his path so that he'd look up.

"Enzan. Did you learn to read people's minds?" He asked him with a smug smile on his face.

"Huh? What did you say?" He looked surprised.

"This timing is too perfect." He kept his smug smile on while he announced the fact.

"Genius: I gave a short version of facts to the Commissioner. Besides… The Man himself came."

"The "Man" came? You mean THE Vadous?"

"I didn't recognize him at first: you'd be amazed at how vulgar he can look in a business suit. Anyone would think he's just a salary-man." Enzan grinned at him again.

"That's amusing. This I must see." He announced

"But of course. See you. The driver has instructions to drive you to the Net Police HQ."

"See you later, Enzan. Ah. Netto's sleeping: try not to wake him up or we'll get a scolding." Laika warned.

"I got you."

"See ya, Esper Master."

"Oi, oi."

Laika climbed into the limo while Enzan climbed up the entrance steps and rang the bell: Haruka opened.

"Hello, Enzan – kun. Come in."

"I am sorry for the intrusion."

"Don't worry! Can I offer you anything?" Haruka asked.

"Eh… Some water would do fine, thank you very much." Enzan politely replied.

"Sure."

She fetched the jar of water and served some into a glass: Enzan drank it and sounded relieved.

"I shall be going upstairs."

"That's alright. If you need anything you can just call me."

Enzan climbed to the bedroom and smiled when seeing Netto's sleepy face.

"Let's pick something to read."

He decided to pick a book to read but he frowned upon seeing a band-aid covering his left cheek.

_What happened to his left cheek? I guess I'll have to ask him later… For the time being, let's look for a book to read... Hmmm… Huh? A manual on Trace-route commands and MAC addresses lookup…? Could it belong to Hikari – hakase?_

He picked it up and looked at behind the cover: there was a message written in two handwriting styles: one of them was neat while the other was rather messy.

"This book is property of both Hikari Saito and Hikari Netto."

_They bothered to swap so that each one would write their names…_

He began to search pages at random: there were many places were a marker had been used to point out important parts.

_Hmmm… They seem to be concerned over the encryption protocols. I guess he must think that if we applied heavy encryption to files, the info stealers couldn't take much profit of their acts 'cause they wouldn't be able to see the contents…_

He switched to another page and found a lot of marks and some handwriting on the margins.

"_Union makes force". Many Cyber Criminals use a mass amount of Viruses to ensure interference on the system or to have a disposable army capable of overrunning Security Navis or breaking through firewalls… Wait. Doesn't this ring up a bell? Mr. Vadous told us at the facility that the info stealer used a Virus swarm to force its way into the mainframes and pick off the system indexes…_

Feeling like he was following a hot trail, he switched to another chapter and quickly scanned the underlined sectors.

"_Hide a leave in a forest". When it comes to picking off info, info-stealers tend to keep copies of it hidden somewhere innocent. They tend to employ this tactic when there's blackmail or extortion in order to intimidate the person the info was stolen from… White hats may make a list of the deficiencies in security and also store it to look it up later… Wait…Keep a copy… Hide a leave in a forest… _

Enzan suddenly glanced at the classical music CDs: he grabbed one and inserted it into the computer after he'd muted it.

_I'm sure I'm on the right trail!_

He used a program in the computer and spotted several hidden files written beneath the music files and which were hidden under this layer of camouflage.

_Let's see if my suspicions are correct!_

"… Enzan – sama… Are we doing the right thing?" Blues asked.

14:09 PM (Japan Time)…

"… And you're sure that the tanker is safe, Forte?"

"It's only a temporary stop. Don't worry about it."

Both Forte and Shirakami were standing inside of one of the empty cargo bays: it contained a scanning machine similar to those in the Science Labs for Navi repair and analysis while a table with a laptop above it had been set up nearby, too.

"Alright. Look. I'm sure that they're planning on kicking you out of Rock Man's body. In case this happened, I need to have a copy of your current frame. Then I could rescue your consciousness file and install it into your new body frame." Forte explained to him.

"I understand. Let's get working on it: something tells me that Vadous guy won't sit idle for long." Shirakami nodded in agreement.

Shirakami plugged into the machine and Forte began to work on creating a copy of his frame.

"Better be ready or else…"

_It's incredible! They did this on their own and managed to uncover so much…! _

Enzan had had a superficial look at the info the twins had managed to copy from the mainframes and was baffled.

"Ahem, ahem."

He suddenly felt a hand leaning on his right shoulder and a shiver went down his spine: he looked over his left shoulder and spotted Saito, who looked serious.

"So! Enzan… You got invited and you betray our trust by snooping around our private files? Laika is better than you in that part." He scolded.

"Why didn't you tell us?" He asked.

"Come one, Enzan. We'd look like show-offs."

"Huh?"

"How many twelve-year olds do you know that can do what we did?" He sighed and sounded annoyed: the reason was too obvious.

"I know… None, now that you say it..." He realized what he meant and looked at a loss for words.

"That's exactly our point."

"Sorry. I found the essay and curiosity…" Enzan trailed off.

"Curiosity got the cat." Saito dully finished.

"Huh... It got me…" He admitted it and felt guilty after being caught red-handed.

"Enzan – sama… I knew it wouldn't end up well." Blues sighed in defeat.

"Enzan. You must keep this secret. We could get into a mess for this. We'd already established that they're good people, but we've broken into their domains sans permission." Saito scolded him.

"But you should know that they're not angry for that."

"Huh? What?"

"Vadous himself came to the debriefing. He admitted that he actually wanted to offer the hacker job as a _freelancer_."

"Really?" Saito sounded surprised.

"Really! He even admitted you'd given so much fun, that he doesn't mind what you snatched. He told us that someone was bound to do it, anyway. And Colonel Talos is very amused at the situation. Now I see why "Octopus – han" didn't show his hide around even though there was a monetary lure… You weren't doing it for money! You were a _white hat_ guy and not an info-stealer guy! White hats don't go after money!"

"Yeah. It was for our security. And I heard all which was going on outside of the sphere. It was a good sound conductor. I still find it hard to believe about the nature of Mr. Vadous, though…"

"Don't be surprised if you soon get a visit from that man. He's really a nice guy. He genuinely cares for you two." Enzan smiled.

"But don't tell the Commissioner or he's going to get _our_ necks. We've also picked off the Viruses off the Virus Lab and pretended that it was the work of the" Darkloids"…" Saito insisted

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"I don't feel like it anymore. And I'm not afraid of Forte anymore."

"It's not "you-know-who" anymore?"

"No. That was a lame _Harry Potter_ rip-off to begin with. I won't let the guy intimidate me anymore from now on… Ouch!" He massaged the left cheek all of a sudden

"What happened to your cheek?" Enzan asked.

"It turns out that my knowledge about a chopper's system was too limited. Since Forte hijacked it after I kicked Shirakami outta it, I thought that breaking the computer would allow me to gain manual control, but the chopper actually stopped. Forte had to knock me out and get met outta there before it crashed again the ground…" Saito explained.

"YOU DID _WHAT_!"

"Ssshh! If Mama finds out we're dead." Saito eyed the door and made the "silence" sign with one finger in front of his lips.

"How could you…" He was still reeling.

"I told you: I thought I could get the manual control back and return here!"

"It was something logical to think." Blues seemed to agree with it.

"At least it didn't hurt much when they were reading Netto's algorithm."

"You knew?"

"I found out very recently ago. I lost a pencil which rolled under the desk and I spotted a hidden compartment built into the ground…"

"Oho."

"It contained a letter. It was from Grandpa. I think he wrote it after I'd already… Well. After I'd already died… With a bit of snooping I quickly compared it to the "Spectrum Project". Papa has the final algorithm for a program, too. But the problem is that the other program needed to turn that thing on was stolen by that "Nebula Grey" jerk whoever the guy is to begin with…"

"Yeah. He began to taunt us while we were waiting for the Musketeers to finish off the "Darkloids"… He called Mr. Vadous "kyoudai" and Mr. Vadous demanded to know which "Admin" he was because there were another two out there… He doesn't know anything about them apart that they're supposed to be on their age: their DNAs bases could be radically different too." Enzan explained.

"Huh. "Kyoudai", huh… Sounds like he wants a personal war with that Vadous – san person…"

"Laika told me Shade Man showed his hide."

"And he found he had nothing left so he went into a rampage: I heard Search Man's report, yeah… Well. I'm going to sleep a bit more. I'm supposed to keep this bandage up 'till tomorrow. And staring at things one-eyed is creepy, even for me."

"Have it your own way. But don't be that surprised if one day I ask you to snoop around Gabcom's projects…" Enzan trailed off in purpose.

"Yaito – chan's company! NO WAY! Trying to find if we're in danger is something: but I'm not going to steep so low! Enzan!" He shouted.

"Hah, hah. Gotcha. Later."

"Enzan – sama?" Blues sounded dumbfounded.

Enzan suddenly ran out of the room with a smug smile on his face: Saito had time to get a glimpse of Blues, who looked like he found Enzan's humor to be strange: Saito sighed and rolled his left eye.

"… That guy… He'll never learn."


	24. Chapter 24: Smashing the Dark

**Chapter 24: Smashing the "Dark"**

09:33 AM (Japan Time), Wednesday July the 11th…

"… Phew."

Netto was sitting in the chair inside of his room reading one of his books the next morning: he'd dressed up in his usual attire, and had been allowed to take off the bandage over his right eye.

"Feels much better, really…"

He was so focused on it that didn't hear the door room open: he felt someone picking at his shoulder from behind but he shrugged.

"Enzan. For the last time: niisan told you yesterday… We're not steeping that low for you and your businesses…" He sighed and rolled his eyes while sounding annoyed.

"Oh? So that's how it is?"

This voice was soft and unknown, so Netto felt a chill go down his spine: he suddenly tried to punch the man out of instinct, but he dodged with relative ease.

"It seems good old Mr. Denpa taught you well. Netto - kun."

He faced the man and recognized him: he'd seen his profile photo in the system index.

"You are… Vadous – san?" He asked, surprised.

"Correct!" The man smiled.

Today he was wearing black business attire (that is, a black suit, a white shirt, black pants plus brown shoes) and blue contacts.

"How did you get in here?" He was baffled.

"I only had to ask Enzan - kun to introduce me to your mother. A charming lady, I must admit." He smiled.

"Are you flattering us?" He eyed him with a skeptical look on his face.

"No. I came because I may have a solution to your current crisis." He let out.

"Really?" It got his attention.

"But let's go down and discuss that around a delicious tea."

They climbed down into the living room and sat on the chairs next to the table: some tea had been served on it while Haruka was working in the kitchen.

"It's a method which is risky, though, mentally speaking..." He warned while looking at them.

"We can handle that kind of things."

"Good. We will lure him into an abandoned place and surround the place with a "Dimensional Area". Then you will _jump_ into him and Slot – In your "Synchro Chip"..." Vadous explained.

"Wha? It'll work just like that?" Netto was surprised.

"No. You'll create a cybernetic space which will be a reflection of both of your consciousnesses… You will have to fight him. But if you focus on each other, you could beat him and expel him from the Navi body."

"It isn't a 100% safe method, right?" He suspected such a thing.

"There could be some mental aftereffects. But it's the only thing I've been able to think of in almost twenty days… The "Vaccine Chip" is not safe because the guy's "Dark Chip" has the ability to generate antibodies and regenerate to the infinite… Laser Man was hell bent on making sure he couldn't be cured." He trailed off.

"Che. The jerk… Whatever. When do we do it?" Netto asked.

"We'll do it this evening." He simply replied.

"May I offer you some more tea, Vadous – san?"

"If it is not much of a bother…" Vadous politely replied.

"My. You sound like a soap opera character. Tee, heh, heh!"

"Is that so, ma'am?"

"Don't mind it, Vadous – san. Mama likes teasing people."

"Ah… I see…"

"So? Have you figured who "Nebula Grey" is?"

"Well. There used to be 3 "Admin" guys raised by "IQ"… No, I don't wanna use that silly nickname anymore… By Anaya Maria."

"So the mastermind was a lady?" Netto asked.

"Sure. A very evil one who wasn't even on their 30s… Anyway… We all got raised separately so I think each one wasn't told of their predecessor and they were led to think they were the only ones… After I had them imprisoned back in May, I snooped around their computers and found out about a file which mentioned "3 Administrators"… And it'd seem she wanted to parallel us to some video game saga named _Metal Gear Solid_ by saying we all were equivalent to some guys… Their codenames were "Solid Snake", "Liquid Snake" and "Solidus Snake"…" Vadous exposed.

"Why "Snake"?"

"Dunno. It'd seem their source of DNA was a CIA operative whose codenamed was "Naked Snake" because he'd apparently had to eat a snake in a survival exercise… The name got passed down to his respective heirs… Sigma got the games somehow and he's playing them to try to get a better idea of how we're supposed to be like or if it provides any clues for how would the other two behave…"

"I see… And they _did_ steal the "Wily Program", right?"

"Yeah. Once I noticed I went and had Omega blow up some Cyber World segments of the "Spectrum" facility so that the villain would have to spend some time repairing them to begin with… And then they would be caught by my sensors… Thus they'd be exposed… But if they're smart they'd send automated Navis or nanomachines to do the work for them instead… They wouldn't have any hints regarding their origin…"

"Huh. That'd make things complicated."

"Sure."

"Mwah, hah, hah, hah…" A chuckle rang out.

"What? The villain…?" Netto gasped.

"No. Sigma. What have you found?" Vadous rolled his eyes and was far from impressed.

"Well, Boss…"

"Why did you sneak into their PET and not come into mine?" Vadous questioned.

"I wanted to check it out. _Yay! Check it out!_" He grinned as he showed up on Netto's PET II screen.

"Don't star imitating Bright Man now."

"Speaking of PETs…"

"Ah! Yes. Hikari – hakase changed his mind and once you retrieve Rock Man he wants to install him into the "Advanced PET II"… I'll tease you and show you a photo of the finished unit."

Vadous took out a Polaroid from his right pocket and handed it to Netto who whistled in surprise.

"COOL!"

This "Advanced PET II" had a main shape which didn't divert much from that of the "usual" PET II: it had a carcass over its lower end colored blue on the outside and white in the inner edge.

The plastic cover was open and it happened to be colored white: it had a small Plexiglas dome over the center of it which allowed for one to see the PET screen while also protecting it from blows or scratches: the cover's outer face had blue stripes running down parallel to the Plexiglas dome.

"COOL! COOL! I knew Enzan wasn't kidding! I wanna feel it!" Netto exclaimed while clutching the photo.

"Wait until the evening, then." Vadous teased.

"By the way! Hikari!" Sigma called out.

"Huh? What, Sigma?"

"Ever tackled a Kentauros?"

"The Gen I Pokémon…? I have one in my _Leaf Green_ game… I caught it in the Safari Zone…" Netto admitted.

"Then have it use "Body Blow" on that Shirakami guy and blow him sky-high 'till he lands in the South Pole! Mwah, hah, hah!"

"That ain't a bad idea, really… I could use "Rage" and "Horn Thrust" as well plus "Pursuing Attack"…" Netto grinned.

"Fight poison with poison!" Sigma grinned.

_Netto – kun. Don't get cocky now. I can see it coming: claiming you're "invincible" thanks to the new-model PET…!_

_Heh, heh, heh! I won't claim: it'll become reality! Oh the sad and overwhelming reality! _He joked.

"By the way: have you seen Dr. Wily around?" Vadous asked.

"Huh? Ah! Well… No. Ever since the day we met Dark Miyabi… I think he's still wandering around but…"

"Hum. Well. I'm sure we'll eventually find him somewhere around Akihara City or Densan City… There are some things I'd like to check with him regarding the "Cybernetic God" and the nature of the "revamping" the thing did to Regal's and Yuriko's genes…" He muttered.

"Yeah. I've always wondered what those "revamping" are about to begin with: did he make them stronger and less susceptible to illness? I don't think he'd make them immortal, would the guy?"

"Nah. I don't think they would. But it could be something along those lines, yeah. Anyway. I'll soon settle it with Dr. Wily in person… And I think Gauss will soon have his trial too… But let's discuss it later."

"Yeah… Tonight… I'll retrieve niisan's body…!"

19:09 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Alright. I'm ready."

"Good. Now we wait…"

Netto was standing inside of an abandoned warehouse with his PET and "Synchro Chip" ready: he nodded at Vadous, who'd come donning his armor along with Sigma, Omega and Blood Shadow, who were in standby position.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…"

"Coming…!" Netto muttered.

A "Dimensional Area" engaged and Shirakami stepped out: Netto ran and jumped over the balcony's handrail and lurched forward at the doppelganger.

_This ends tonight, Shirakami!_

_Yeah! I'll get my body back!_

"Synchro Chip, Slot In!"

There was a flash as white and purple clashed and then merged: when it cleared, Shirakami was standing there, frozen in place.

"We gotta wait now. It's up to them." Vadous commanded.

"… This place again…!"

"Damn it."

Both realized the "consciousness world" they were at was the same dreaded space where both Netto and Saito had been brought at by Shirakami in the past.

"Shit."

They could see the ground many meters below the platform and they both realized that the "platform" was just the top of an armored bipedal war vehicle which looked like it'd been destroyed from the inside.

"Whoa."

The vehicle had an open cockpit which was wrecked, a large rail gun on the spot where the left arm would be at and a radar-like disc on the spot where the right arm would be at: the outer cover had been destroyed and the internal components were wrecked.

"Looks like it didn't go do peacefully…" Netto muttered.

"Sure it didn't…"

They couldn't see much more of the body because of the lack of lighting: the whole thing was leaning against a corner of the room.

"Hum."

It seemed to be roughly fifteen meters tall when fully standing, but it now was one or two meters shorter due to its "kneeled" position.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…"

Shirakami materialized in front of the twins, using his "human" form which he had used while he'd been Saito's split personality: he kept on not having a shirt to cover his upper body and seemingly liked to show off his body.

"Welcome to the Death Room. If you wanna win over me, show me what you've learned in those self-defense classes." Shirakami announced.

He assumed a fighting posture, and so did Netto and Saito.

"_Let's go_!"

Netto used his favorite trick, the fake attack: Shirakami totally fell for it, focusing on an attack from the right when it actually came from the left: Saito then used a multi – punch combo barrage.

"Not bad… But I'm just getting started!" He grinned.

He tried to go after Saito, but Saito ducked and lurched at Shirakami using his head: Shirakami actually recoiled and almost fell of the platform and into the steel ground beneath the thing.

"Ugh… I should've memorized some of those moves before I kicked you out, Saito…" He commented, grinning.

"SHUT UP!"

Both Netto and Saito began to shine with a familiar blue light and seemed to "fuse" only to give way to "CF" Netto's "Cross Fusion" form, who'd taken out the Rock Buster.

"Heh! So that's how it is."

Shirakami quickly switched to his "Darkloid" form and took out his own variant of the Rock Buster.

"Let's go~!"

They both charged up energy and shot "Charge Shots" at the same time: the two attacks collided and were pushing against each other.

"Hmpf! Is that all?"

"Heh."

"HUH? NO WAY!"

However, "CF" Netto's "Charge Shot" actually assimilated Shirakami's "Charge Shot" and it headed towards him.

"Uh… Uwa~h!" Shirakami yelled in terror.

The blast hit him fully and there was a large explosion which swept across the space: the room began to disappear and everything became blinding white.

"… Boss. What do we do?"

"Calm down. It hasn't even been three minutes yet. We'll soon see some symptoms."

Omega was getting nervous upon seeing the immobile form of Shirakami frozen on the middle of the room and Vadous calmed him down but they failed to spot Forte, who was hiding behind a pile of crates and looking over there, too.

_I'm waiting, too… I know Shirakami will be kicked out because his whole program will be forcibly ripped off the body… Hikari's PET got some "vaccine factors" on it… They are supposed to violently pull the "Dark Chip" outta his body and materialize it into the "Dimensional Area"… And they'd then try to attack it but that's where I come in… _

Golden bursts of light started to come out of Shirakami's Navi frame all of sudden.

"Coming!"

"Mugra~w!" A guttural growl rang out.

The body roared and it exploded in a burst of white and blue which blinded the entire warehouse.

"Whoa!"

When the light dimmed down, they could see "CF" Netto on his place, lying face down on the ground: he looked unconscious.

"There!"

The "Dark Aura" floated above him and it emitted its ominous sound while looking like it was trying to get a hold of what was going on.

"Okay. Atta…!" Vadous began.

"Sorry, _Danna_. I have higher Speed."

"You lowlife…!"

Vadous had been about to order an attack on the "Dark Aura" when Forte suddenly came out with the data cube.

"I'm only here to collect the leftovers. _Bye-bye_."

He quickly absorbed the "Dark Aura" and escaped just as Blood Shadow was about to shoot a blast from his shotgun.

"Che. Bothersome mouse." Vadous grumbled.

"Huh… Unh… Huh…!"

"CF" Netto blinked and began to mutter something as he slowly tried to move and managed to sit on his knees, panting: he looked at his hands as if to check it'd worked.

"… It worked! We did it, niisan!" "CF" Netto exclaimed.

"Yeah! I'm back at where I belong!" Saito replied through the ear pad like he usually did.

"You did a great job."

Vadous helped "CF" Netto to get up.

"What became of the "Dark Soul"?" He asked.

"It seems Forte predicted this. It came out completely, but he secured it into a data cube and fled. My guess is that he has a backup body. But I don't mind that, for now. I have something else for you two." Vadous explained before blinking them an eye.

"Cross Out!"

Netto cancelled the "Cross Fusion" and looked at his PET II's screen: Saito was there, nodding in agreement.

"I'm home, Netto – kun!"

"I missed that motto."

"Yeah. I know."

He pocketed the PET II into his pouch and then followed Vadous.

"Where are we going?" Netto asked.

"Heh, heh, heh… It's a surprise." Vadous chuckled.

He took out his remote and opened the purple Time-Space vortex, to the twins' surprise.

"Don't be afraid. The trip lasts for less than a second. You won't even feel it." Vadous assured them.

"Really? Then… _Let's go_~! Whoa~h!"

21:25 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Hum, hum… So! 4 persons, eh?"

Haruka was setting the table up for dinner inside of their house's living and humming a tune as she did so.

_Enzan – kun phoned to tell me there will be four to dinner, including Yuuichirou – san… I wonder if he's going to come, too._

"… I'm home! Where are Netto and Saito at? I know they went out to fight the doppelganger…" Yuuichirou asked as he stepped inside.

"Enzan –kun just phoned. They should be back soon." Haruka replied.

The door opened and they both looked on as Netto entered.

"I'm home!"

"Welcome back!"

"Oh. There's someone else."

"Huh?"

He was followed by someone almost identical to him: the emerald eyes and his hairstyle were unmistakable, though.

"Sa… Saito!" They both uttered.

"Hello, Mama, Papa." He smiled.

Both husband and wife ran over to him and hugged him: he _felt_ _real_ and _was real_.

"How did you do it?" Their father was amazed.

"This is the result of a co-op between Vadous – san and his friend Dr. Spimer. They name it _cyborg body_." Netto announced.

"Cyborg, you say?" His scientist curiosity was really picked.

"The body is 90% normal, but the cleverest part is the brain. It's electronic, and I can Plug - In into the Cyber World at will."

"Whoa!"

"A network of nano machines helps to relay its electrical signals along with some implants in my CNS which can decipher them." Saito explained.

"In short: niisan can be a person again!" Netto let out the best part.

"… This is… beyond what I could've dreamed…"

"… Saito is finally back. Welcome back, dear…"

"Thanks!"

"Oh! And I also have this!"

Netto showed Yuuichirou the "Advanced PET II" with the cover lowered: the cover had a glass dome to allow one to see the window and some vertical stripes on it.

"Before that, Vadous – san installed Rock Man into the Advanced PET II and carried out the "initialization" procedure, see…"

"Wow. So the only thing's left is to try it out with the "Battle Chip Gate" and see its performance when it comes to "Cross Fusion"!" Yuuichirou got excited again.

"Sure! Enzan will boil with jealousy and will install Blues into another of these too so as to not to fall behind!" Netto grinned.

"I told you, Netto – kun… Don't get into the "I'm invincible" mood. Don't get cocky." Saito directed a warning glare at him.

"Wha~t… Don't worry about that, niisan! I'll pulverize those two along with the ground they're standing in!"

"Tee, heh, heh. I see that Netto's in the best of moods. Come have some home-made curry, dears."

"You gotta talk me more about that "cyborg body" idea: I want to know all of the details! I won't feel satisfied without knowing them!" Yuuichirou chuckled.

The group of four laughed in a jovial manner…


	25. Chapter 25: Twins

**Chapter 25: Twins**

23:23 PM (Japan Time), Wednesday July the 11th…

"… Huff. Well. This should be ready by now."

Forte was leaning over the metallic cylindrical capsule which he'd used hours before in the tanker.

"Let's rumble."

Various lights shone green on different spots of its body so he typed some commands into a keyboard, making the capsule hiss and open: Shirakami came out surrounded by some steam and stretched.

"It feels slightly different." He commented.

"I might have skipped one or two details." Forte admitted.

"Where are we?" Shirakami asked.

"Did you forget? The tanker. But I've made preparations to move to a physical house too…"

"Alright. And remember your deal: I'm not here to be fucked up by you because I look like Saito." Shirakami warned him.

"Don't worry, don't worry… I'll uphold that deal."

"Fine."

Shirakami climbed down from the capsule and stretched before walking some steps around: he then stepped over a puddle of a silver-colored liquid which seemed to form from a slight leakage in ceiling.

"What's this? Doesn't look like fuel…" He muttered.

"Weird. I could swear it wasn't there some hours ago."

The "puddle" suddenly began to stir and "rise" to give way to a humanoid shape having some kind of blackish helmet over their heads, the shape of eyes, a nose, a thin human-like body with two arms and legs, and two intimidating knives instead of hands: they looked about their height.

"W-what are those? Some experiment of Regal?"

"B-but wait a minute… They're materializing… _Without_ a "Dimensional Area"! We can do that because you invented that "Rush Synchro Chip" thing and the Musketeers have robot bodies so… But how can they materialize like that without a "Dimensional Area"?" Forte argued back, surprised.

"Ah! Look!"

Another "puddle" suddenly formed on the ceiling and dropped into the ground to give way to another of those.

"Rock Buster! I know the name's silly if I'm another guy but it sounds better than "Shirakami Buster", I say."

"Hell's Buster!"

Both shot attacks at the enemies and made some parts of their bodies' skins jump off but they suddenly regenerated those in the spot and lurched for them at a mad speed.

"Dark Sword!"

"Dark Arm Blade!"

Shirakami drew a Long Sword colored purple and Forte drew his blades: they clashed with the fighters and began to push them back before they suddenly dissolved into "puddle" form again and reappeared behind them to drive their blades into their bodies from behind: both gasped and warped using "Area Steal" to appear behind them and vertically slice them up into two halves: they collapsed into "puddle" form but rose again: both cursed and clashed again.

"These things seem to have been infused with "Dimensional Element" which allows them to be materialized just like that!"

"But Vadous wouldn't make these or the Science Labs… So the only possible culprit for this is that "Nebula Grey" jerk…!"

"Shit. He must want to either test us or remove us from his way!"

"Charge Shot!"

Shirakami jumped away, loaded a "Charge Shot", and shot it at the enemy thus hitting their chest and piercing through them: they merely regenerated the wound and continued their assault: Shirakami drew two "Dark Swords" and Forte jumped away.

"Darkness… OVERLOAD!"

He charged up a mass of purple energy and shot a stream of it at the enemy thus blowing it up into pieces which splattered the walls: they suddenly began to grow in size and focus on one wall to slide up to the ceiling: the enemy formed and dropped vertically into Forte while driving both blades into his helmet's top and then detaching to plunge both blades into his body from behind: they pierced through his chest emblem but Forte roared and used another "Area Steal" to show up behind the enemy and cut it up into slices.

"Fuck! We'll be goners at this rate. Guess "Nebula Grey" wants this tanker for some reason or another and we're on the way! Shirakami! It's pointless to continue: we'll just die!"

"Yeah! I realized that! Damn it! That moron! I want to erase that smug smile from their faces! I'd love to do that, really!"

"Run for it!"

"Roger!"

They ran down the corridor with both things following them and Forte locked a pair of blast doors.

"They're designed to prevent flooding so not even those things can slide in through the frame! But I don't think it'll hold them at bay for much longer so let's use the computer and escape to the house!"

They rushed towards the Navi restoration machine and dematerialized to escape the place: the "face" popped out of the blackness and formed a smug smile again while its eyes seemed to expand.

"Heh… Heh, heh, heh… Heh, heh, heh! Mwah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah!"

08:48 AM (Japan Time), Thursday July the 12th…

"… Fua~h…"

_Whose turn is it today…? Huh? The body feels different. The brain does, too… Wait. Yesterday… Ah!_

Saito suddenly sat up on the _futon_ and looked at his hands as if to check that he was real: he then spotted Netto sleeping on his bed.

… _Of course! I'm a person now! I'm a human! I'm back into the real world as a person and not as having to share Netto – kun's body… Whoa. My life has suddenly changed… And it's thanks to Vadous – san… We'll never get to thank him enough… _

"Hmmm… Ah… Heh, heh… Maha Ichiban's curry is the best… with Tabasco…" Netto muttered as he tossed around in the bed.

_Well! Netto – kun is yet again dreaming of Maha Ichiban's curry… It's his number #2 favorite after Mama's…_

He slowly stretched, repressed a yawn, and stood up: he was obviously used to such actions by now after having been sharing Netto's body for over two weeks.

_Why don't we wake Netto – kun up? There's so much I want to do! And we still have to show the others… Vadous – san has spoken with Commissioner Kifune, and he agreed on providing a cover story and giving me a civilian ID. I'm officially part of the "Net Saviors", too, so that I can participate on the meetings… A whole world of possibilities is now open to both of us! _

"Here comes the army!" He shouted at Netto's ear.

Netto sat up on the bed, startled, and began to quickly look around only to spot Saito.

"Grah! Niisan! That was low!" He grumbled.

"Hah, hah, hah! It serves you right for being such a sleepyhead. Didn't we agree on introducing me to everyone?" Saito told him.

"… Oh! You're right! I had forgotten! You're a person now!"

"Did you think it was a dream?" Saito teased.

"Yeah. Anyway… Let's get dressed…" Netto shrugged it off.

They both dressed and arranged their beds before heading downstairs to have breakfast.

"Good morning, dears." Haruka greeted them.

"Good morning, Mama!" Both replied.

"If you were wondering, Yuuichirou – san ran off at the Science Labs. He received some mail and wants to check out something there." She giggled and looked like she was expecting that to happen.

"Heh, heh! It's gotta be Vadous – san: he sent him the data on the "Advanced PET II" installation and now wants to try it out with Blues next…" Netto chuckled.

"Sure."

"So? What are you going to do today?" Haruka asked.

"Ain't it obvious, Mama? We're gonna show everyone about Saito – niisan being here with us!" Netto grinned.

"That's fantastic." Haruka looked like she agreed with the idea.

Both finished their breakfast and picked their sneakers: Saito picked a spare pair Netto had.

"We'll have to go shopping for some stuff for me." Saito reminded Netto while adjusting the sneaker.

"That's right. We have plenty of time for that." Netto nodded in agreement.

"We're going!" Both announced.

"Take care!" Haruka told them.

They exited their home and headed for the playground while Netto prepared a single mail sent simultaneously to all of his friends.

"Come at the park ASAP: there's something you've gotta see. Netto."

They arrived at the area before anyone else and Saito hid behind some bushes while Netto sat on a bench and waited.

"Yo! Netto! What's up, man?" Dekao greeted as he walked in, showing off his punches.

"Ya wait and see." Netto simply told him.

"Good morning." Meiru greeted as she walked in.

"Is this the place?" Hikawa Tooru asked as he came in.

They heard a vehicle stopping nearby and spotted Yaito's pink limo.

"Yaito – chan's limo…"

The red carpet was deployed and the maids came out: Yaito walked down the carpet while drinking a bottle of strawberry milk.

"Wait in the car." Yaito nonchalantly told them.

"Roger, Yaito – sama!"

"I still find it hard that so many girls fit in there." Dekao commented to Hikawa in a hushed tone.

"Maybe it's wider in the inside than it seems from the outside." Hikawa suggested.

"So! Netto! I guess ya have a good reason to call someone like me all the way here." Yaito told him.

"What's with today's mood? You were always complaining I never told you guys anything!" Netto protested.

"Whatever. Make it quick." Yaito merely replied.

"Che. Okay… Wait a sec."

Netto glanced at the bushes and rolled his eyes.

_Niisan. It's time for your jump into the stage._ He told him.

_Heh, heh. Yaito – chan looks like she's gotten a mood today. I'm gonna snap her outta it._ Saito sounded amused.

He purposely ruffled the bushes to call for the others' attention but didn't come out.

_Tell them to guess who or what is here._ Saito told Netto.

_Huh? Eh… If you say so…_

"… I challenge everyone to guess who or what is in there." Netto announced while signaling the bushes.

"… It's a cat!" Dekao grinned.

"It must be a dog." Hikawa argued.

"It's gotta be Mr. Universe." Yaito giggled.

"I'm not sure: but I'd rather say it must be a pigeon." Meiru suggested, frowning.

"You're all wrong!" Netto announced.

Saito walked out of the bushes and walked towards them: they didn't seem to react until he stopped at Netto's right.

"Huh? That guy… Don't we know him from somewhere else?" Dekao asked, frowning.

"He looks very similar to Netto – kun." Hikawa commented.

"Who's that? Is that your cousin from Kansai?" Yaito laughed.

"… It's Saito – kun!" Meiru announced, gasping.

"Whoa!" Dekao gasped.

"I-I hadn't realized it!"

"No way! It's a hologram!" Yaito yelled.

"I'm sure it isn't." Meiru insisted.

"Wait and see! Cha!"

Yaito walked over to Saito and stepped on his right foot with a lot of force: Saito actually yelled and clutched the foot, since it was hurting.

"Uack!"

"But Navis can't materialize sans "Dimensional Areas"… And Saito – kun's Navi frame is still missing!" Yaito protested.

"This isn't his Navi frame! He's a human now!" Netto corrected.

"That's impossible." Yaito shot back.

"I'm 90% human, yeah."

"90%?" Everyone asked.

"You can't see it from the outside: that's the point. My body has been fitted with an electronic brain, implants on my CNS and a network of intravenous nanomachines. It's called a cyborg body." Saito announced with a broad smile.

"But, legally… Niisan is a person just like I and you guys." Netto quickly added.

"Whoa." Everyone had their jaws open.

"… If your brain is electronic… Then you could come into the Cyber World as well?" Roll grasped.

"Yeah. I can do that whenever I want to. In fact… The point of the brain is that my Navi frame is inside of it! But the personality file is extracted and processed to act like a normal consciousness. When I want to leave… I return into the Navi frame and then I can go into my PET. My nanomachines take care of setting my body to a sleep-like state until I return." Saito explained.

"I guess we're gonna take a while explaining… Why don't we sit down in the benches?" Netto suggested.

"Let me tell the limo to head off. This looks totally worth my time."

"Sure thing!"

They sat down on the benches: Yaito and Meiru sat on one, the twins in another and Hikawa and Dekao sat in the third.

"What happened the other day with the funny skies?" Dekao suddenly asked.

"It's not "funny skies", Dekao… We've told you over and over again: it's named "_Dimensional Area_"..." Netto rolled his eyes.

"One of the Evil Duo came after us posing as Enzan and lured us to an old Ameroupe Army Facility close to Jawaii intended for this purpose." Saito simply summarized.

"But that doesn't explain how ya got your Navi frame back." Yaito pointed out.

"We did that yesterday evening. We lured the dude and forced a "Cross Fusion" with him in order to access the core of the Dark Chip and break it up... His companion rescued what was left of the personality file, so I wouldn't be surprised if he has another Navi frame ready." Saito summarized next while leaning back on the bench.

"We met a very intelligent mister…"

"Hah! There's no one cleverer than me." Yaito bragged.

"Could you come up with this, then?" Netto challenged.

"Huh! Sorry. I was trying to pull a joke." Yaito apologized.

"Anyway! This mister had been working on this for a while with a colleague. We'd been aware of him for a while, but he decided to finally approach the Net Police. This is why niisan is registered as a citizen: the Net Police has issued a cover story for him." Netto summarized.

"Wow. It's incredible that technology has advanced so much…" Meiru looked awed.

"It sure is!" Roll sounded excited.

"Guts! Guts Man doesn't get it very well, but that guy is Rock Man, so we'll have another Net Battle soon, guts!"

"Well. Yes. In essence."

"Then Guts Man will defeat Rock Man to show Roll – chan that he can protect her! Guts!" Guts Man suddenly announced.

"I can defend myself quite well. I think Aki – chan is the one who needs your protection, Guts Man." Roll calmly replied.

"O~H! GUTS, GUTS, GUTS! AKI – CHAN, DE GUTSU~!" Guts Man began to daydream.

"Shut the trap up!" Dekao annoyingly told him.

"Aki – chan, desu…" Ice Man looked like he was daydreaming, too.

"By all the… They're going to rival each other at this rate." Hikawa sounded exasperated.

"And the reason I have this ugly bruise on my right eye is because they held my eye open so that a laser could read an algorithm Grandpa engraved into my retinal pattern. They needed it to start up that piece of junk." Netto let out.

"Whoa! An algorithm engraved in your retinal pattern… You'd never told us!" Meiru looked awed.

"I just found out a few days ago, mind you. I stumbled upon a letter from Grandpa which vaguely admitted the fact."

"Cool!" Dekao whistled.

"Did you really understand it?" Hikawa was skeptical.

"Well…"

"Hah! I knew it. Cha are but a gorilla!" Yaito giggled.

"Wha~t?"

"Come on, Yaito – chan… Let's not start a war again!"

"Tee, heh, heh, heh, heh. Don't worry, Meiru – chan!"

"Yaito – chan… Always bringing trouble…"

10:10 AM (Japan Time)…

"… So? What became of those two?"

"Well…"

"Wait! What are those wounds?"

"I don't want to EVER go back to that ship."

"What happened?"

Vadous was speaking with Zero while sitting on the armchair: he'd taken out his contacts, revealing red crimson eyes but kept on sporting the armor: he'd had taken off the helmet.

"That's…"

"Please tell me!"

Zero had several wounds on his body and some silver stains too which said it all: he'd had to face those weird enemies.

"Some weird programs which can materialize without a "Dimensional Area" have taken over the whole ship… "Nebula Grey" has seized it and those programs are crawling all across it… It's a nightmare! No matter how many you cut down, they either regenerate their missing limbs or break down into some "puddle" form to then regenerate… There are HUNDREDS of them hidden in every nook and cranny! Automated Navis are taking care of the tanker's piloting…! The throne room has a wax figure of a woman on her 30s with orange-like hair and cold blue eyes sitting there dressed in some leather suit…"

"Hell. That'd be Anaya Maria, the "Ice Queen"… That "Nebula Grey" sure is proving that he's loyal to her and that he reveres her… Some weird Freud-like psychology, even…" Vadous cursed.

"I guess those two were forced to make a run for their lives. Those things were crawling all over the Cyber World too… NEVER! I'll NEVER go back to that place! My word! If this is what they call "fear" then I'm filled up with that, my word! I'd never felt such "fear" before!"

"By all the… I'm sure the "Wily Program" has helped the guy somehow as well… He must be intending to turn that into his own permanent HQ for future uses… How lovely! I know Regal had tracing programs which told the location of the ship on his computers so I should get a hold of one of those to keep tabs on that thing…" Vadous sighed.

"Sure. By the way… Did you find anything about "Octopus – han"?" Zero suddenly brought up and switched topics.

"Huh? Well… Hum… Yeah. Let's switch topics to something not so dreadful… Truth to be told: I'd almost forgotten. But Enzan – kun admitted with a smile that I'd be dumfounded when I found out. I didn't pursue it: I liked that answer of his. It's got me excited." He smiled.

"Good. I'm off. But I'll NEVER get back there."

"Sure, sure."

Vadous hummed the _Star Wars_ tune as he distractedly tapped the right armrest with his fingers.

"Maybe I should tackle that guy we found about… He doesn't look too dangerous to me but you never know… Omega! Come to the command bridge ASAP: we gotta talk." Vadous commanded.

"Roger."

Omega soon walked in and Vadous turned the chair around: he handed him a note with some instructions on it which Omega glanced over in a calm and dull manner before slightly lifting his right eyebrow.

"So we gotta dispose of this guy…"

"Yeah. Further analysis has led me to figure out they could become a very real threat… It was dumb luck that I found about them when investigating those sudden overseas crimes in which "good" Navis have been seen committing them but they have perfect alibis… There had to be a reason why these "evil doubles" were showing up and by tracing one…"

"Yeah. I remember. We found about them one week before the take-over of the "Darkloids" by Shirakami… Well. I'm going."

10:23 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Heh, heh, heh… My plan's perfect… Soon… I'll rule both Cyber World and real world… All Net Navis will become my tools… They will destroy each other… And with my "Phantom Navis" to take their places the Cyber World will be mine… All eyesore humans will be turned into data to power me up and be fed an illusion of "reality"… Heh, heh, heh."

A Navi was standing and muttering aloud inside of somewhere in the Cyber World: the room was largely unlit but it contained two large server-like machines which had glowing green dots on their largely blackened screens as if to show they were working on something.

This Navi's overall height could be slightly over a meter and fifty but not even a meter and sixty tall either.

Their dominant color was white with a few grayish rectangles: his head didn't have a helmet built over it and it didn't have ear-pads either: two needles with purplish energy rings set mid-way across them extended from where the ears would be at.

His eyes' mass was red and irises' color was a creepy purplish color which displayed pure malice.

Some thin rectangles were set in a row travelling below and above his eyes while a large gray stripe spanned across his head until it'd almost reached the forehead: a smaller one was set in the middle of his forehead too.

His nose and mouth were human enough and his mouth was currently forming a smug evil smile.

His emblem consisted on a simple vertical silver rectangle set against a purplish background: the edge was colored silver too.

The shoulders had two short spikes emerging from them and aiming NW and NE too: his arms were plain and the forearm armor consisted on a cylinder with two dome-shaped ends: its main body had two parallel sets of thick grayish rectangular bands drawn them: the hands were simple and had a gray circle drawn above their palms.

Three of those rectangles travelled across the upper body (with one of them being the one set on his emblem) which was unarmored and totally unadorned.

His legs, like his arms, were unadorned as well and the armor below the knees encompassing the ankle and part of the leg was but a copy of that he had on his forearms.

His feet were normal in shape and included a circling band near the start of the toe-fingers plus a short vertical stripe aiming upwards.

Overall, he looked young but evil and the type which shouldn't be underestimated just because of his looks.

"My name is… Cache. And I'll become this planet's ruler. Those eyesore humans will become part of me… And Net Navis will kill each other until only a few or none are left… Then nothing will oppose my transformation of all mobile objects in the world and humans into _cache data_ and thus ensure my complete and perfect rule… My "Phantom Navis" together with my "Jamming Men" will do the work… Hah, hah, hah…"

"So! You wanna prove you're deadlier than the "Darkloids"? And you'll be using the "Dimensional Element" to materialize without the need of a "Dimensional Area" either…" A voice rang out.

"W-what? Impossible! My hideout is hidden from the normal Cyber World: nobody should be able to find it!"

"We did: by analyzing a "Phantom Navi" once we'd stuffed them with a tracer program…"

The purple gateway of Time – Space formed and Omega, Sigma, and Blood Shadow stepped out while having their weapons drawn: Omega looked dull and unimpressed, Sigma looked cocky and Blood Shadow was calm and collected.

"Who the hell!"

"The "Subspace". We heard your chatter. Your name's Cache and you're behind those "Phantom Navis"…"

"Come! Heat Man! Fire Man! Magic Man!"

The server group hummed and raw data began to assemble to give way to the aforementioned three Navis: their eyes were tinted in a reddish and purplish color as well.

"Magic Fire!"

"Grand Burner!"

"Fire Tower!"

"Blood: pick Heat Man. Sigma: pick Fire Man. I'll handle Magic Man. You know it already: they're very frail and weak so just one or two blows should be enough to delete these things." Omega didn't lose his composure as he forwarded commands.

"Huh? Commander Omega, sir… What's that?"

"What is? Huh?"

A "puddle" had suddenly dropped from the ceiling atop Magic Man and he seemed to ignore it as the deadly enemy's arms suddenly drew their blades and swung across the air thus actually beheading Magic Man and making the head meet the ground to roll on it: the main body collapsed and the "puddle" quickly climbed up Fire Man's body to pluck both blades into the eyes: Fire Man growled and covered them but then the blades got driven into his body from behind to emerge from the front piercing the chest emblem: the "puddle" cut off Heat Man's arms before plunging both blades into his head from above: the three of them were deleted before any of the other four could move just as more "puddles" began to drop from the ceiling and give birth to more enemies.

"Fuck. Those are some programs the other "Admin" fucker came up with according to Zero! They're invincible!" Vadous cursesd.

"You can't be serious." Omega growled.

"I'm serious! According to his data they regenerate without end and multiply: before you know it they'll have overwhelmed you guys! Zero tried Flame – Attribute Battle Chips but they didn't work either!"

"Shit. So we gotta pull out?"

"Yeah. I think "Nebula Grey" wants to take this guy out so he'll actually do us a favor… And I don't want to risk you guys!"

"Shit. You heard Boss! Let's pull out!"

"Roger!"

The three of them shot some attacks at the enemies to push them back before they ran into the gateway and it closed: Cache gasped and jumped into the air to summon Elec Man, Colored Man and Thunder Man next to attack the enemies whose numbers were growing.

"Hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah!"

"Who goes there?"

"MUGRO~H!"

"Hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah!"

The "monster" appeared followed by the typical laughter but this time around the "monster" seemed to be solid and not a hologram: it suddenly swung its right arm forward and gripped Cache who was struggling to break free: it formed some bluish needles which bombarded the "Phantom Navis" and immobilized them as the enemies jumped towards them and began to slice them into multiple pieces.

"You lowlife are an obstacle to my plans! I'll slowly and painfully delete you and your plans will be but a threat!"

"W-who the hell!"

"Hah! My name is "Nebula Grey"! And soon this world will be ruled by me as per the commands of the great and invincible "IQ – sama"! Now die in a slow and painful manner: let anger, hatred and grudge fill your soul and wander the Afterworld as a vengeful spirit!"

The monster then began to squeeze Cache who roared and then the enemies began to plunge the swords into his body one after the other before he was set on fire and deleted amongst roars of agony…

10:47 AM (Japan Time)…

"… I guess they got quite satisfied with our simplified summary. It was funny that it took them a while to catch up."

"Yeah. They're somewhat slow to catch on."

Netto and Saito were chatting animatedly while walking down the streets of Akihara once they'd parted ways their friends: they ended up in the block where Akihara Gym was at, which was closed and there was a note on the door.

"CLOSED FOR HOLIDAYS UNTIL 16/7/2005"

They then spotted a familiar person sitting in a nearby bench and reading the daily newspapers.

"Yamato – sensei!" They both greeted.

"Ah. Hello, Netto – san and Saito – san." He smiled at them as he looked up from the newspapers.

"You knew, right?" Saito asked.

"Yeah. I did. But my classes were useful. Weren't they?" He replied with a smile.

"Huh… How do you manage to do it? I mean the disguise." Netto shily asked.

"Let's just say the neck is filled with some sensors which allow the color to change and blend with the surroundings." He explained.

"Cool."

"Well then. I'll be on my way. Take care!"

"Alright, niisan. Let's go to the shopping mall and try out some sneakers for ya and some shirts: we need to build up your wardrobe!"

"Sure! Operation: Wardrobe has begun sponsored by Mr. X!"

Both laughed at Saito's joke and clasped their hands…


	26. Chapter 26: Evil plans

**Chapter 26: Evil plans**

11:11 AM (Japan Time), Friday July the 13th…

"… Oi. Forte."

"Hmmm…."

Forte could be seen sleeping on sofa with a blanket over his Navi body and tossing around.

"Forte." The voice called again.

"Huh… Zzzz…"

"Forte." The voice insisted.

"Hmmm… Zzzz…"

CLING!

The sound of a coin hitting the ground and rolling across it could be heard and Forte suddenly awoke.

"A 100 credits coin…! It's mine!"

He jumped off the sofa like a tiger jumping towards its prey but hit the floor with his head: since he had the helmet, it didn't hurt much, but it was enough to give him a headache.

"… It'd seem that the 100 Credits coin "urban legend" is not as much of an "urban legend" I thought it'd be…" Shirakami commented.

He standing in front of Forte with his arms folded and looking unimpressed: he also sounded totally sarcastic today.

"Oi, Shirakami… What was that for…? Ouch… My head… It sounds like someone hit it with a hammer over and over again!" Forte complained while rubbing his helmet.

"You've been sleeping for ten hours." Shirakami announced in a serious tone of voice.

"TEN HOURS!" He couldn't believe it.

"I tried waking you starting two hours ago, but you wouldn't. I finally decided to use this trick." Shirakami admitted as he picked up the famous coin.

"Huh… hum…" He was at a loss for words.

"Forte: you're overexerting yourself. I want to help, too, but you always tell me to keep watch of the fort. Why don't you _rest_ for a change and _I_ go and find the data?"

"Ah! No! That won't do!" He suddenly yelled.

"Forte. Just because I _look_ _like_ Saito, I'm _not_ him." Shirakami reminded him.

"And what do you mean by that?" He tried to play smart.

"Huff. Don't play dumb. You gave me more than enough brains. You _like_ Saito. And Netto – kun as well. That's the real reason you kidnapped them all those months ago. To fuck them…" Shirakami pointed out.

Forte was looking at the ground and scratching the back of his head: it looked like he was trouble admitting that.

"And you think you can protect me by having I stay here? If I get rusted and then get my ass kicked in the first battle I step in, then it'll be _your_ fault, Forte." He told him with a serious tone of voice.

"… Fine. You read me." He admitted, sighing.

"I just want to point out that we're _companions_. We have to help each other." Shirakami reminded him.

"Aw… Okay, okay… We only need one last data batch and then we'll be done."

"Where is it?"

"Look around the "Reverse Cyber World"… It's near Densan Airport, I believe…" Forte admitted.

"I'll get there." Shirakami calmly announced.

"Take the heavy artillery... There are some powerful Viruses in there and they're no joke."

"Heh! Then I'm gonna sweep the floor with 'em on it."

Forte sighed and walked into his room: there were many photos of the twins in there clipped into the walls and he'd even managed some new photos showing Saito's new real world body.

_Heh, heh, heh… I can materialize near them and use a Canon camera with telescopic lens in order to keep an eye on both of them. And Hikari – hakase really is very forgetful when it comes to protecting the data on his laptop… Copying his photos was so easy…_

He entered into an unfurnished room and pressed a tile in the wall: a large square on the ground slid away, revealing a set of descending stone stairs which led into a basement.

_Surprise, surprise…_

He descended them and entered a metallic corridor where there were several armored steel doors with a small slit which allowed one to see from the outside.

_This place used to be an Army Detention Center to imprison "traitors to the nation" back in the 30s…_

Forte opened one of them and revealed a barely furnished room which contained a king-size bed and an adjacent bathroom: the light came from a window in the north wall which had some bars on it like if it was a prison cell's window: a large ominous shape was set in one corner and covered by a black cloth.

_As I said: this was a cell but I changed them…_

Forte looked out at the vast green valley and saw how the grass was agitating thanks to the wind.

_Heh, heh, heh… This will be our S&M dungeon… Even if we can't catch Hikari and Rock Man to play with we can pick Hikawa or some unrelated horny guy… And that "device" over there is so cool… Heh, heh, heh!_

13:13 PM (Japan Time)…

"… So, Laika… How are things in Sharo?"

The twins, Enzan and Laika were sitting around a table and enjoying some Maha Specials.

"The weather is fine and nothing important is going on, according to my colleagues. By the way… Enzan told me about "Octopus – han"…" Laika replied before bringing the topic up with a smile.

Saito directed a death glare to Enzan, who actually raised his eyebrows, and then made that smile of his.

"Huh? What? What's going on, Saito – niisan?"

"Just look on. Netto – kun."

Netto was puzzled, but his brother's glare told it all: he too glared at Enzan, who gulped: one glare was enough, but two was another story altogether.

"Hmpf…"

"Heh, heh."

"Oho."

Laika had put up his smug smile while Search Man let out a small chuckle and so did Blues.

"Well! As long as you use it to find out about suspicious guys… Then I have no problems with that."

"Oh. But did Enzan tell you that he wanted _us_ to snoop around Gabcom's files?" He explained in a hushed a conspiracy tone.

Laika smiled at Enzan, who gulped again and Netto chuckled.

"Really, Enzan... I did not know you were so desperate to try to get rid of the _competency_." He put emphasis on the last word.

"Heh, heh, heh."

Enzan blushed and looked around, drawing laughs from the other three presents.

"Ah! But…! Laika! I didn't really mean it…! It was a joke! There! Let's settle it!" He quickly improvised.

"I highly doubt it." Laika calmly shot back.

Enzan sighed, and tried to put out his 'serious' face again, but he couldn't keep it for long, so they all laughed while he turned deep red.

"Eh… Guys?"

"Sigma? What's going on?"

"Well. Yesterday… There's something we should've reported but we didn't want to spoil the day so…" Sigma sounded guilty.

"What. Those two assaulted a bank overseas?" Netto tried to guess.

"No, no. It's about the other "Admin"…"

"Other "Admin"…? Oh. You mean that "Nebula Grey" freak…"

"Well yeah… You remember the "Nebula" tanker, right, Hikari?"

"I know I was brought there by Regal in March but since I was blindfolded then I didn't get to see what the room was like…"

"Ah… Well… Those two were forced to flee the ship and Zero soon found out why… That "Nebula Grey" jerk wanted it for him and he's filled it with a walking terror which makes all Hollywood monsters look pale in comparison although Ridley Scott's "Alien" would still win… Well! It's some kind of jelly-like humanoid enemy with regeneration abilities and which can morph into a "puddle" of silver stuff… Their numbers can increase very quickly and they can attack even while being attached to a Navi's body… They showed up yesterday when we went to storm the hideout of that Cache guy and…" He began to narrate.

"Cache? Who's that?" Netto cut him.

"Is he related to those "evil doubles" spotted in Sharo?" Laika asked.

"Yeah. The culprit of them… Of the "Phantom Navis"… The guy was a mad jerk who wanted to make all Navis fight each other out of mistrust by cutting Navis from Operators and using his "Phantom Navis" to insert fear and confusion since they can't be told apart at a mere glance… And in the meanwhile he'd digitize all humans and objects in the real world so that they'd become "cache data" and fuse with him increasing his power while feeding them a made-up "reality…" He whispered.

"Yikes. And those enemies sound terrific."

"Totally. We had to pull back and when we dared to come back we found no trace of them… The server's RAM chipsets had been removed as well to impede them from working and most of their circuitry cut into pieces: a recording was left behind…"

"And what was it?"

"Cache's impossibly slow, painful and agonizing deletion… That "Nebula Grey" freak has gotta be a total sadist or a maniac of games where you can cut the enemies up… The "monster" thing was real this time around and it began to torment Cache before the swarm sliced him up into impossibly small pieces… And that ain't all…"

"There's more?" Enzan cursed.

"The guy's totally obsessed with that Anaya Maria villain 'cause they've built a wax sculpture of her and placed her on Regal's throne as if wanting to remember the good ol' times…"

"And why don't they rescue her while they're at it? They would have it extremely easy!" Laika argued.

"No. The guy knows we've been expecting such a move all along so he won't step into the traps and devices we've set up to be captured or exposed… He might wait _years_ for us to forget about the villain and then pull up a stunt to free them…" Sigma sighed.

"In short: even if we lock up the Evil Duo then that guy will be around to bring us trouble like never before… And we thought this would be a nice summer… Damn it! Why does trouble chase me and niisan?"

14:24 PM (Japan Time)…

"… I'm back!"

Shirakami closed the door to the living room having a data cube under his right arm.

"Did you get it?"

"I wiped the floor with those guys on it." Shirakami declared.

"Excellent." Forte grinned.

He connected the cube to a computer and downloaded the data into it to process it.

"Now that we have all the components we should start assembling it. Am I right?"

"Yeah. It's going to be amusing." Forte grinned.

"I'll go fetch a reference book." Shirakami announced.

He walked out of the room while Forte sat down in a chair and began to work with the keyboard as he hummed _Let It Be_ from the Beatles.

"Heh, heh, heh. We'll soon rebuild our precious death-mobile and go for a _Round 2_… This is _Season 2_, guys, in case ya hadn't caught up yet… And we've got some surprises hidden in the alcove too… Heh, heh."

"Mwah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah, hah!"

"The devil!" Forte cursed.

"I see it! The future of failure and death! You lowlifes' time is short: you won't survive past the end of August! I see it! Farewell!"

"You gotta be kidding me, freak." Forte grumbled.

"Totally. The fucker thinks he's a prophet now too?"

"If only I could erase that smug smile from their faces…!"

"Oh yeah. I'd love to do that! I'd really love to…!"

14:48 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Good afternoon, de masu!"

"Good afternoon, Higure – san!"

After their meal at Maha Ichiban's, both of them had come to Higureya in order to buy some new Battle Chips.

"Oh. It's Netto – kun… And who is the young man? De masu?" Higure looked intrigued.

"Oh! Well! This guy is Saito – niisan! He was being treated of disease far away, but he's been cured and has come back to live with us. Saito – niisan: this person is Higure – san. He's a genius when it comes to rare Battle Chips!" Netto made the necessary introductions.

_Act like it's your first time here. _Netto instructed.

_That'll be easy._

"Indeed, de masu! So! Saito – kun! Welcome to Higureya, de masu! You won't find a better Battle Chip Store, de masu! One day I shall be a millionaire! De masu!" Higure boasted.

"That of the millionaire was an illusion which Gauss Magnets provoked into you, Yamitarou." Number Man sounded annoyed.

"Huh! Don't ruin the grace, de masu!" Higure told him.

_There they are again: they're always quarreling. _Netto rolled his eyes and sounded resigned.

_What was the point of that thing Gauss Magnets made, anyway? _Saito suddenly asked.

_Hmmm… I guess he was playing Robin Hood._ Netto concluded.

_Yeah. That was it. Both Gabcom and IPC suffered because of Magnet Man's messing with the bank computers. But Gauss really picked a weird way of fleeing, didn't he? _Saito recalled.

_Remember our posterior encounters with him: he cross-dressed! _

_He was past the age, really! Anyway… Why don't we buy something while we're here? Let's try to see if he's got something new._ Saito sounded exasperated before switching topics.

"Ahem… Higure – san… Do you have new Battle Chips?" Netto called out for his attention.

"Hum… Sadly… Not much has come in as of late, de masu… I have this one, de masu." Higure muttered while sounding disappointed.

He picked a case and deposited them on the counter and both gasped: it was a Super Vulcan Battle Chip.

"… May we check it out for a second?" Netto asked.

"Sure, de masu…" Higure shrugged.

Netto brought out his Advanced PET II and tested the Super Vulcan with it: nothing strange happened and no error message appeared.

"… It works perfectly. I'll keep this one, Higure – san." Netto muttered before addressing Higure.

"Oh! Since it's your first visit, Saito – kun, let me reward you with this one, de masu! Ta-dan! De masu! It's a Tank Cannon Battle Chip! They're very useful, de masu! But beware of its recoil! De masu!" Higure announced with a grin.

"Thanks a lot. I'll keep it." Saito thanked.

"I'll pay." Netto announced.

"Well then! It ascends to 5500 Credits, de masu." Higure announced after inputting the date on the register.

Netto paid using Electronic Money and both he and Saito pocketed each one of the Battle Chips.

"Good-bye, Higure – san!"

"Good bye, de masu!"

"Have a good morning!" Number Man added.

Both exited into the street and began to walk it down while Netto sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness! This isn't a "Dark Chip"...!" He muttered loud enough for Saito to hear.

"No. And since "Nebula" is long gone… And Shirakami has his own body by now… It'd be pointless." He pointed out.

"Yeah. Let's just go home…"

"I know. Sigma's talk was creepy enough…"

Both began to head back but Netto stepped over something slippery and slid down the street to hit a street light: he groaned and dropped into the ground while Saito circled the puddle and checked on Netto.

"Are you alright, Netto – kun?"

"Ow! My nose! It hurts, it hurts…! Someone tossed paint or something into the ground and now I've slid across it…!"

"Huh? Yeah. Looks like silver-like paint, but… If it was paint then there'd be some in your sneakers' soils but I don't see any…" Saito frowned.

"Weird. Then what the hell is that?" Netto wondered.

"Dunno…"

The "puddle" suddenly slid towards them while they were engrossed in their chat and two of the figures formed in a silent manner: someone suddenly swung a weapon across the air and cut their waists up so both halves collapsed into the ground.

"Run!"

"Huh!"

They suddenly spotted how Omega had been the one who'd cut the enemies up but they'd already regenerated: both twins quickly ran off while Omega drew his gun and shot a plasma round at one breaking it down into raw data: the other jumped at him and he blocked.

"I knew it. They can withstand most types of attacks but my special plasma rounds are too much for their bodies to handle… That "Admin" fucker, trying to assassinate them in such a cowardly manner… I did well on coming out and being their bodyguard!" He grumbled.

"Mwah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah!"

"Don't laugh you bastard! Show your hide: I'll cut you up into pieces as if I was Omega the Ripper!"

"Struggle! Struggle! Struggle! In vain!" The voice taunted.

"Shaddup! You cold-blooded murderer! You assassin! Sink along with that damned tanker into the bottom of the ocean and do the world a favor, will you! If not I'll chase you for all time I need to! But attempting to murder children is something I'll NEVER let you get away with!"

"Play the "righteous sword" all you want, traitor dog's puppet! I'll eventually bury all of you lowlifes into a watery grave! And then IQ – sama will rule the underworld forever with me as their proxy ruler to rule the surface world! Forever! Eternally! Without end! Such is this world's fate: the fate the "Demon Tribe" is saving up for it! Mwah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah!"

Omega let out a roar of pure anger as he suddenly began to cut the remaining enemy into pieces, switched to the gun, and shot a round of plasma which disintegrated all pieces.

"Damn you! Fuck you! Screw you~!"

"Damn it. The Evil Duo is nothing. This guy has enough potential to drive the whole world into chaos and I laugh at Regal's plans. Speaking of which, we retrieved the 7 stolen "Synchro Chips" in the "castle"… But that's another talk. We should focus on this guy and I'm sure that the Evil Duo won't be able to do much more anytime soon…! Shit!" Vadous growled.

"I know… Things are getting uglier with every passing day! Will we be able to prevent that fucker from killing anyone?" Omega cursed.

"Shit. I don't know! And I'm afraid of what could end up happening…!"


	27. Chapter 27: Panic Mansion

**Chapter 27: Panic Mansion**

19:44 PM (Japan Time), Saturday July the 14th…

"… Wow. So many people…"

"Yeah. It's cool."

The twins were standing inside of large room filled with people: they were sporting buttoned shirts with simple patterns on them and shorts along with socks and their sneakers to look a bit more formerly dressed.

"It's curious that Enzan suddenly goes and invites us to an IPC conference about the next projects." Saito was commenting.

"Yeah. I'm intrigued to see their nature." Netto agreed on it.

"… The atmosphere is charged with excitement. Isn't it?" A familiar voice commented close by.

They both looked at their left and spotted Vadous (in business attire and with the blue contacts on) walking up to them: he had a glass of water on his right hand.

"Vadous – san!" Both exclaimed.

"I'm not the only one." Vadous enigmatically announced.

"Lesson #34: immobilization from a blind angle." A familiar rough, dry and cracked-like voice announced.

Mr. Denpa, also wearing business attire and having reading glasses on, caught up with them.

He'd removed his mask, showing that he was a man on his early twenties, with short brown hair and clean shaven.

His eyes' irises were brown.

"Eh… Denpa – san is here, too! Enzan invited you too?" Netto asked: he was rather surprised.

"He sure did."

"It'd seem the conference is about to start. Why don't we go pick our seats?" Vadous suggested.

"That's fine." Saito nodded in agreement.

"Yeah! Let's hear out Mr. Vice President." Netto grinned.

They headed over to the auditorium set on of a mansion which had been rented for this occasion: the walls, floor and ceiling were made of mahogany wood.

A podium and a white screen to project the images from a projector linked to a laptop had been set on the far wall: the words "IPC'S NEXT PROJECTS CONFERENCE: JULY THE 14TH, 2005" were currently being projected on its surface.

"Let's pick our seats."

Netto and Saito assumed first row seats while Vadous and Mr. Denpa sat on the second row.

The lights dimmed and Enzan, wearing a tuxedo, walked into the podium amongst some clapping while having his serious face on: he cleared his throat and spoke.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. We of IPC are glad that you have come to be briefed on the projects we are going to undergo during this year and the next. During development of the Advanced PET II intended to combat the plague of the dreadful "Dark Chips" and being used as a middle step to future PET development incorporating "Vaccine Chip" functions… Someone leaked news about a PET III project. That news was not wholly true: it was just a title. There was no drawing board design and no concept yet. However, since the Advanced PET II was not intended to be publically released and was just intended to be used as research prototypes for the Science Labs, we've decided to work in this new project aimed at the main public. We do not expect it to be ready in less than a year's time since we do not want to force people to switch PETs so often. This PET III is intended to incorporate "Vaccine Chip" functions and a new flash memory..." Enzan began explaining before making a pause.

There were no comments, so he drank some water and typed something into the laptop: a set of sketches showing an oval-shaped device with a wide LCD screen and two hatches on the right side along with a command interface at the screen's left was displayed: some murmurs and whispers began to fill the air.

"This is one of the sketches for the PET III which has been proposed in the design department. Mind you: it could be discarded and switched for something wholly different. Do not take it for granted." Enzan announced along with a warning.

The dim lights and the projector's light went off without warning and the room was left wholly unlit: some panicked murmurs and voices could be heard and the only light came from Enzan's laptop, which had switched to battery mode.

"Ahem! Someone who knows this place: please go and restore the current!" Enzan called out.

Someone engaged a flashlight and ran out of the room and, barely one minute later, the lights returned and some sighs of relief were heard on the room: Enzan sighed in relief, too.

"Enzan – sama. The cause of the blackout was just a decrease on electrical tension. The safety systems are almost inexistent due to the old nature of the house and its electrical system." Blues reported.

"Well! No big deal, Blues. These things can happen. Let's keep on with the conference."

"Roger, sir."

"Well! The flash memory should, in theory, be able to store Battle Chip data in the PET's flash memory saving need for physical Slot-In and ensuring a faster response time… The interface has yet to be interacted with but we think that it's about time some experimented with holographic touch-screens… That would make navigation easy, intuitive, and simple…"

Several more murmurs formed and Enzan smiled…

20:13 PM (Japan Time)…

"… And this is all of it. Once again, thank you for coming and I hope that our sales and incomes charts have satisfied you investors. Do have a good night."

Some clapping rang out as the light returned and the attendants began to stand up and leave while others stayed there.

_OK! Well! Let's go talk with Netto and Saito about their opinion on the matter… Weren't they in the first row?_ Enzan thought.

He looked at the first row: they weren't there.

_Maybe they headed off into the main hall while I was saving up the Power Point slides… _

He stepped down from the podium and headed into the main hall where a buffet had been set: he looked for them but didn't spot them.

_Maybe they headed together to the restroom… Let's give it a few minutes… _

He sat down in a chair and checked some stuff with his Advanced PET II but he suddenly yawned and began to doze off: no – one seemed to notice for a while.

"… Enzan – kun?" A voice asked.

Enzan suddenly woke up and looked in front of him: he saw Vadous standing in front of him and looking at him.

"Ah! Mr. Vadous… I guess I must've been tired."

"You must've been doing extra hours, too, huh?"

"Eh… Mr. Vadous also tends to work extra hours?" Enzan politely asked.

"Yeah. I'm too hyperactive. In fact, Lartes is always scolding me for that. I hadn't told you, but even though he doesn't have a university diploma, he's a good medic specialized in mental disorders and stress." Vadous admitted.

"It sounds like Blues…" Enzan admitted.

Blues sighed and sounded exasperated: he'd obviously wished Vadous had brought up another topic of conversation.

"By the way… Have you seen the twins?" Vadous suddenly asked of him while looking somewhat concerned.

"Huh? Ah! I was waiting for them: I assumed they'd gone into the restroom…" Enzan admitted.

"I thought of that, too… So I went and checked it out a minute ago. There was no –one there."

"Huh? Weird! I don't believe them to leave without telling anyone." Enzan frowned.

Mr. Denpa walked over to them after checking that no-one was overhearing them.

"… Sir... All of the other rooms, save for the fuse room, are locked with key. They cannot be there." He reported.

"… I smell dirty play." Enzan suddenly muttered.

"I, too… You could perfectly stage a blackout. But how do you take two teens which know self-defense away in only _two_ minutes?" Vadous frowned.

"I think I get it." Mr. Denpa announced.

"Can you elucidate?"

"Well, sir… There were lots of people moving around back during the blackout. Some of them were even trying to leave in panic. During that confusion, someone could have posed as an evacuator and tell them "Follow me!" … When in suspicion of danger… The mind only wants to get way. It's a natural instinct. They probably were led out of the room and then taken away somehow." Mr. Denpa suggested.

"Hum! I see! Your explanation makes a lot of sense. Let's ask the party guests."

Enzan spotted the owner of the mansion and headed over him: the man turned.

"Oh. Mr. Vice President. I apologize for the blackout: I haven't found the time to change the electrical system yet." He told him.

"Say… Did you hear someone suggesting people to evacuate the conference room during the blackout?" Enzan directly asked.

"Well… Why. That's intriguing. I heard a hushed male voice telling someone to follow it. I heard the room leading to the rear yard opening and closing." The owner sounded surprised.

"Thank you. I look forward to collaborating with you again, sir." Enzan told him.

"The pleasure is mine, Mr. Vice President."

The three of them headed into the rear yard and found a road which circled around the hill the mansion was built on and connected with the main access road which in turn led to a highway.

"Hum."

There were one or two cars parked there along with a pool of water: a car which had a bad radiator had been stationed there because the amount of water was too large even if it had been waiting with the AC on.

"Damn." Enzan hissed.

"It's obvious who did this." Vadous icily muttered.

"Indeed, sir… I found this." Mr. Denpa reported.

He showed them a piece of paper with an unknown rushed and messy handwriting:

"Do not worry about them. They will have fun with us. We know some intriguing games. Yours humbly, the Evil Duo."

"And my guess is that they'll take them somewhere underground. Saito's nanomachines include a tracer..."

"But…" Enzan seemed to guess there was a flaw.

"But it doesn't work that well when underground. This is the only weakness of this technology. The chip I implanted on Netto as per his request has the same function, but it won't work, either." Vadous sighed in defeat.

"Crap. It seems that I'll have to try and practice how to make the same thing they know, so I could dig around…" Enzan was thinking aloud and frowning.

"Huh? Well… Enzan – kun? You know something about the boys that we don't?" Vadous frowned.

"Ah … I'd rather not say it… I found out about it accidentally… And it's something… _private_." Enzan quickly replied.

"If that's the case… I won't pursue the matter. We have bigger things to worry about."

"I know. I'm going to call Laika to help." Enzan offered.

"Well. I'll put the Committee on top alert, as well as my men." Vadous announced.

He and Mr. Denpa rushed back into the mansion while Enzan sighed in defeat and stood in the rear yard.

"Blues. Contact Laika." He ordered.

"Roger, Enzan – sama."

Laika soon appeared onscreen, scratching the back of his head.

"Sorry if I didn't come, Enzan, but I had a report to write for my commanders in Sharo and it has to be delivered to them today... I guess it was a big success, anyway…" Laika apologized.

"It's not for that, Laika. We have a situation going on right here and right now and I need your help..." Enzan went straight to the point.

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Netto and Saito have been abducted by those two." Enzan grimly summarized.

"WHAT!"

"Yeah. You heard me the first time. In the midst of my presentation, if that wasn't enough."

"Ah! It was the work of the devil!" Laika made a face of disgust.

"I'll need your help to look around."

"Count on it!" He replied, clenching a fist.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome anytime, Enzan. Could you give me the address of the place?" Laika asked.

"Yeah. Take note…"

"Alright. I'm on my way… Kzzzz!"

"What? Oi, Laika! What happened, Blues?"

"I don't know, Enzan – sama, sir… The line was suddenly filled with a burst of "noise", sir… And the source seems to be close by given the high power this "noise" burst carries with it, sir…"

"I laugh at such greediness, caprice and gluttony!" A voice boomed out from nowhere.

"Fuck. The last thing we needed!" Enzan cursed.

"Let there be OCEANS OF BLOOD!"

"Kya~h!"

"Ra~rgh!"

"Kami – sama! Run, run!"

"Run for your lives!"

"Call the Net Police!"

Enzan rushed back inside of the house to find several of the "soldiers" which were quickly spreading across the insides and swinging their blades: the guests were running off and several had cuts to their suits: Omega had popped out of somewhere and was tackling them.

"O-Omega? What are those?"

"That fucking bastard's pawns…!" He growled.

"Damn. Not "Nebula Grey" again!"

"Let there be OCEANS OF BLOOD!"

"Form a "Dimensional Area" on my signal: Blood and Sigma are shielding the guests in the front as they run off in their cars while Boss has gone to the HQ to get his battle armor." Omega instructed.

"Roger!"

"In the meanwhile, have this."

He handed him what seemed to be a spare saber and Enzan gripped it: he quickly turned around and cut a "soldier" which tried to sneak behind him into several pieces while quickly moving the saber in various angles: the saber began to emit a vibration and Enzan plunged it into the "puddle": it frizzled and broke down into raw data.

"I found their weakness: a certain sound frequency breaks up their data integrity and they're deleted. Water can be disrupted by sound and that applies to these fucking freaks too." Omega admitted.

"Good!"

"Commander Omega: all guests have been evacuated! Zero casualties: some slight cuts and all but nothing which can't be treated with mere disinfectant and bandages." Blood Shadow reported.

"I'll set 'em on fire! Demon Fire!"

"Eat this! Charged shotgun shot!"

"Here comes the army! Vicious Fire!"

Vadous ran in while having his armor on and produced some streams of purplish flames which crawled up the bodies of several "soldiers" and deleted them: he drew his swords, which were frizzling with electricity, and began to plunge them into the bodies of the "soldiers" to make them break down into raw data to delete them.

"Now! Let's finish this! My "Dimensional Generator" happens to be under maintenance so we gotta use the Science Lab's one!"

"Roger! Meijin! Deploy a "Dimensional Area"!"

"Okay! Dimensional Area: Activate!"

"Synchro Chip, Slot In! CROSS FUSION!"

"CF" Blues formed there and quickly used the spare saber to slice through a horde of ten "soldiers" which tried to attack him at unison.

"Battle Chip, Lo…! Whoa! It's already here!"

He formed a Long Sword faster than usual and used it to held at bay another "soldier": he cut them up with the spare saber and then began to hit some more of them: a chuckle rang out and, looking into the front garden, he spotted the face of the "monster" looking towards him while making a feral-like face: the "monster" roared.

"Shut up, you freak! Eat Demon Sword!" Sigma yelled behind them.

"Eat plasma round!" Blood Shadow added.

The "head" turned transparent to reveal it was a hologram and both attacks failed although Blood Shadow's round did hit another "soldier" too: Vadous suddenly brought out a PET II and inputted some commands into it: the "soldiers" began to agitate and convulse before they broke down into raw data: the "monster" vanished as well.

"Supersonic waves: their number one weakness."

"Shit. We've wasted enough time here, Boss. We gotta move it! Or by the time we find those two they won't be mentally sane anymore!"

"Damn it! I'll make mincemeat of those two spoiled brats! My word!"


	28. Chapter 28: Endurance

**Chapter 28: Endurance**

07:55 AM (Japan Time), Sunday July the 15th…

"… Wakey, wakey…."

"Heh, heh, heh. Welcome to the 24 – hour Endurance Marathon… Will you make it out in one piece?"

Netto and Saito sluggishly woke up and gasped upon realizing they were lying face-up on the king-sized bed in the basement of Forte's and Shirakami's house: they'd been geared up in the infamous S&M gear including those ball-gags and 5cm wide vibrators on their asses: their legs had been spread wide and they had collars around their necks from which chains connecting to the northern legs of the bed emerged: both villains were sitting on their knees in front of their asses and had hardened their cocks as if being ready to rape them.

"Heh, heh, heh. That of the "follow me" was something we set up taking profit of human instincts during a blackout… Using chloroform was effective enough too…" Forte chuckled.

"And this place is heavily cloaked in some new stealth field which can fool IR scans too… We deleted all records on advance… The closest road is 10 kilometers SSE… And there are almost no houses or gas stations in a 40 kilometer radius either! No interlopers will bother us. We've got some nice 24 hours ahead of us… We've brought over some nice gizmos to play with as well…" Shirakami grinned.

_Fuck these bastards! I can't believe we got caught so easily! _Netto inwardly cursed.

_Damn it! A 24 hour marathon, they say? And then they said they're different from those "Secret Empire" guys! They're the same!_

_Shit. They've drugged me again like in March!_

_And they've somehow done the same to me despite the nanomachines which reject any foreign chemicals! _

_But Vadous – san will find us: somehow!_

_Yeah! Omega stumbled upon that orange bastard's hideout back in March: he can find us! If he could divert an alien spaceship this must be child's game in comparison!_

"Let's start, Forte."

"Heh, heh, heh. Rock Man… I've been wanting to test out this new body of yours… Let's see if they've made your ass and cock bigger… Ah! But let's not forget to turn on the vibrators either… Rule number 1: no vibrators will be turned off and you won't be allowed to release! Rule number 2: no resting either! We've prepared instant meals to give you energies for the day later on but apart from that we won't stop!"

_You gotta be kidding me!_

_This is mad!_

"Ready… GO!"

Both turned on the nipples' vibrators: Netto and Saito began to struggle but were given no break as the ass vibrator got turned on next followed by the cock's head: they immediately felt the cocks of both Navis pumping in and out of their insides.

"Heh! I think you entrance is about 0.3cm wider!"

"Heh, heh, heh. Then I'll be checking it out later."

_Oh fuck! They want to swap too!_

_Damn it! I won't let them get away with it!_

"Heh, heh, heh. Good! Your ass now feels good… I'll be claiming you for me since this body counts as "virgin" and it's not your Navi body!"

_Shit! What a psycho!_

_At least they're not mad guys like that "Nebula Grey" freak!_

_The freak! Yeah. I should be glad we're not begging for our lives in front of such a freak._

_Damn it! And I can't believe this is gonna last 24 hours!_

Both villains released inside of them and quickly stuffed those anal beads inside of them: their own spasms began to suck them in but they had little time to feel the pain because both lifted their heads, took out the ball-gags, and had them suck their cocks next.

"Your mouth feels different too… No wonder: it's real and not some imitation, after all…" Forte chuckled.

"Remember my blowjob training, Saito~…" Shirakami teased.

_Damn it! I only did that because you threatened me with Netto – kun's health!_

_And the jerk calls that "training"!_

"Here we go~!"

"Drink them up!"

They both released inside of their mouths: Netto and Saito panted and couldn't repress their groans and moans which they produced from all of the sensations tormenting their bodies: both villains then slid down and suddenly forced them to share a passionate kiss: the twins' eyes opened wide with shock but they couldn't do anything else: the pacing of the kiss seemed to draw them in too: both villains stopped and detached to look at the white strings of saliva and white stuff linking them.

"Heh, heh, heh. Cute, very cute." Forte giggled.

"Sure thing. Let's tease their balls."

They put the ball-gags back on and began to slowly pull each clothes peg attached to their balls: they arched their bodies backwards from the involuntary spasms and both guys continued by slowly twisting the clothes pegs to inflict more pain into them.

"Take the pain in and let it make you feel good! You'll soon become excellent masochists… And maybe you'll beg of Hikawa to become you guys' "Master" to turn you and feel like you've never felt before!"

"My. That'd be lovely to see!"

10:33 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Damn it! No results yet?"

"No, Boss. We've searched a 30 km radius from the party mansion but all other mansions had their owners accounted for. But if they bothered to by car they should've been caught at the speed traps!"

"Shit. Maybe the car is a red herring and they already dispose of it somewhere: check out the locations Forte used back in March: he might be smug enough to believe we won't check them twice!"

"Roger, Boss."

"And if you find them remember! We're not here to delete them: just beat them and such but no mutilation! The same goes for you two, Sigma and Blood! Get me?"

"Roger, Boss!"

"OK, _Danna_!"

Omega, Sigma and Blood Shadow reported the results of their search to Vadous over the main LCD screen: he brought both fists down on his armchair's armrests and seemed to be running out of patience.

"Shit. It's been over 12 hours already! We need to hurry! Search up any isolated manors or castles or farms! Then look up the property registers and the electricity, water, gas and phone bills!" He ordered.

"Roger!"

The three Navis became data and came out while Vadous brought up several photos of houses and some summaries of them in the other two screens as he typed into the keyboard.

"Lartes! Go to the Ministry of Habitation and bring someone of the Net Police with you! Tell them it's a matter of life and death and that we don't have time for bureaucratic permits and whatever! Drag whoever has the keys outta their beds too if needed!" He commanded.

"Roger, Boss! Gotta hurry or else…!"

11:58 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Heh, heh, heh. How does the "pillar" feel like?"

"It's one of the ultimate S&M plays!"

Both twins had been forced to sit on their knees with their backs glued to a thick metallic column with some leather restrains emerging from their body and keeping them strapped to its body: but what was tormenting them was the 5cm wide vibrators which a piston was sliding up and down to rape their asses and without break: both had been seated opposite each other so they couldn't see each other: both villains were standing in front of each one and grinning at them.

"The cold metal turns you on! Your legs are bound together in that pose: your torso won't move and that delicious vibrator never gets tired so it will pump into you non-stop to teach you how it feels to be pumped over and over again!" Forte explained.

"Heh, heh, heh. And in the meanwhile…"

Shirakami pulled a string connecting Netto's nipple clothes pegs and he closed his eyes from the pain: his cock was swinging like mad and totally hard: the beads inserted into its body were clearly visible as if they'd tried to expand towards the outside.

"It's useless, Netto – kun! It's impossible to release! 100% impossible: just get used to it! The "Slave" can only feel pain and is the tool for the "Master" to achieve pleasure~!" He giggled.

"It's been 4 hours: 20 remain! And we've got lots of games left: we visited some real dungeons and picked the stuff outta them so it's the real one: who knows how many other boys have experienced this day after day before the police rescued them?" Forte teased.

"Be glad we're doing this because you guys turn us on and not because of greediness! Those greedy guys would beat you even!"

"But we don't need to do that: we've cancelled your resistance and you can go and struggle in vain! And also…"

They glanced at a video camera set on a tripod and in angle to film the whole agonizing play: both giggled and stepped forward to remove their ball-gags and stuff their cocks into their mouths again: they gripped their heads from behind and began to move them.

"Learn how to do some neat blowjobs!"

"People want others to do them blowjobs!" Forte added.

_Damn it! I can't believe we've gotta survive another 20 hours without being able to release! It's becoming hard to try to divert my mind elsewhere so as to not feel my bulging cock!_

_Shit! I can't believe it's been over 12 hours since the party and we haven't been found yet! That talk about the camouflage wasn't bragging! But I won't give up! I know they'll find us, Netto – kun!_

_Why do these things always happen to us?_

_Dunno!_

_These two are crazy! We won't fall for that temptation so easily to begin with, anyway! Let's prove it to them!_

_Yeah! Not like we'd have Hikawa – kun do those things to us! He wouldn't harm a fly, even! Go to Hell and don't rise twice!_

Both filled their mouths so they panted: Forte and Shirakami swapped places and had them go for another round.

"Yeah! Remember my blowjob training, Saito~… You'll need it to satisfy your future "Master", the cute Hikawa – kun!"

"I'd rather not involve Ooyama: his weight would crush you and he doesn't have the figure…" Forte giggled.

_Oh come on! Who'd want to drag Dekao into this, anyway? _

_No – one! He'd rather try to beat Blues to a Net Battle!_

_We gotta endure! They'll come rescue us! I know it!_

_And we'll eventually defeat you in a fair and square battle too!_

15:35 PM (Japan Time)…

"… LARTES! Nothing yet?"

"Nothing, damn it."

"Shit. Having to go over so many registers is hard, even for Search Man's abilities."

"I'm doing my best, Laika – sama!

"I wasn't questioning that, Search Man. Detective Misaki!"

"No luck on the Kansai Department… Having to search the whole of Honshu isn't easy!"

"At least we know that the car was stolen from a workshop in a village about 97 km NNW of the party site but there's nothing in a 20 km radius from there… Police Navis are knocking at the most suspicious places to check them out too along with local police…"

Lartes, a man on his 20s with black hair and brown eye irises was going over some documents in some building's archive.

He wore a simple white shirt, a red necktie, gray pants and brown shoes plus having reading glasses on.

He appealed as being over a meter and eighty tall.

"Damn. At this rate we'll soon have exceeded 24 hours ever since they vanished! I want to find those two and beat them up so that they learn their lesson: DON'T MESS WITH THE ADULTS!" Vadous growled over a cell-phone set on the table.

"I found another candidate, Laika – sama." Search Man reported from a close by terminal.

"Forward it to Prism Man." Laika commanded.

"Roger, sir."

"This time it's 208 km NWN from the party site… Prism Man! Check out the closest police station!" Misaki exclaimed from another room.

"Roger, Detective Misaki."

"I'm checking it up too… Hmmm… It's a powerful candidate: there's the expressway close by and since the speed limit is 120 km/h they can make it in less than 2 hours in car…" Vadous muttered.

"We're back, Boss."

"Any luck in finding "Dimensional Converters" those guys might have employed?" Vadous questioned.

"Zero."

"Shit. Speaking of zeroes, is Zero looking as well?"

"I think so… I should contact him."

"By the way! When did that blue paint puddle form?" Sigma could be heard asking.

"Dunno. Maybe it was a bug." Blood Shadow shrugged.

"Blue paint puddle…? Oh fuck!"

"What? Oh shit. Those freaks again!" Omega cursed.

"The bastard "Nebula Grey" followed you!"

"_Kyou~dai~_!"

"Go to Hell."

"I come from there! Now you son of a bitch get to go there!"

"Oh yeah? So! Anaya's but a mere bitch by now…?"

"Shit. I rushed it up…!"

"Eye for an eye. Dispose of those and find out where in the system the freak's hiding at! I don't have time for you freak now. But when I find you I'll close you into the brig, you psycho!" Vadous growled.

"Go, my pawns! Make mincemeat of those weak fools!"

"That's our motto. Let's go! Hra~h!"

19:49 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Heh, heh, heh. Half a day has flown by already."

"Don't they look cute?"

This time around, the villains had forced the twins to "ride" a wooden horse with two vibrators and built to accommodate two persons: the pulley was present and so were the ankle restrains: both had been blindfolded too and they were facing away from each other while having ropes tying their upper bodies together: they were drooling without stop and both villains laughed as they witnessed their spasms.

"Let's tease their cocks by rubbing them with ours, Forte."

"Sure thing. It'll drive them further mad."

They used a pair of steps set at both flanks of the horse to stand above the metallic upper edge: they then picked each boy's cock and began to rub their own cocks against them: Forte and Shirakami gripped their cock's heads next and began to apply pressure as it to make the vibrator's own vibrations have further effect: both agitated and tried to rise some centimeters but slid back down the length of the _two_ 5cm vibrators each had stuffed into their asses.

"How's this? Two vibrators, guys! They gotta be making you see the white world by now." Forte teased.

"Let's tease them a bit further…"

Shirakami began to lick Netto's right cheek and a shudder seemed to go down his body: Shirakami giggled and lowered his head to begin licking the edge of his nipples' central body while he slowly twisted the clothes pegs towards the left and began pull them away: Netto was in total agony by now given his violent spasms.

"Heh, heh, heh. We'll make sure to exploit each inch of your sensitive spots to make you feel like never before."

"And be glad too that we're not splitting you into separate clubs or rooms without knowing if you'll see each other again…"

_Shit! I'm fed up with these threats! Our stubbornness seems to have helped us keep our sanity but…!_

_Remember what Vadous – san taught us, Netto – kun! We mustn't harbor hatred, fury, and anger or grudge because those then lead to revenge which is something tragic and hollow! Revenge doesn't change anything: you then realize what you've done is in vain! _Saito warned.

_Yeah! I understood that… He looked like he'd had to figure out that out the hard way!_

_No wonder!_

"Still feeling hope, you two?" Forte teased.

"You're strong, eh?" Shirakami giggled.

Netto suddenly arched his head backwards and then hit Shirakami's forehead while Saito did the same with Forte: both lost their balance and ended up face-up on the ground while rubbing their foreheads and clutching their heads as a persisting CLONG sound echoed inside of them over and over again.

"O~w… We pissed them off, alright. Which means that they're still sane and kicking…" Shirakami groaned.

"Heh… That makes it funnier!" Forte giggled.

_Eat that up, you punk!_

_Yeah. If you though we're powerless then you're very mistaken: use the head, as they say… Literally. _ Saito inwardly sneered.

"By the way! Did you know? The vibrators were set to "MEDIUM"… So as punishment we're gonna set them to "MAX"!" Forte announced.

"Bad boys gotta be punished, ya see~…" Shirakami giggled.

_Bring it on! _Netto challenged.

_Speed and whatever! You can't beat our bond!_

_United we create infinite power!_

23:23 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Man. That's my… What. 8th coffee? I need it to stay awake: I can't sleep knowing Netto and Saito are suffering somewhere!"

"True, Enzan – sama. I'm looking up all data forwarded from the Ministry of Habitation archives, too, sir."

Enzan was drinking another coffee from the coffee machine while typing into the computer to check data: he was using the Advanced PET II and looking at some maps at the same time.

"How many candidates have we checked?"

"57."

"57 and we haven't found them! Shit. And there could HUNDREDS in Honshu: they could be in Hokkaido or Kyushu too! Or Izu! Or the Okinawa Islands too!" Enzan cursed.

"Mwah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah!"

"Not the freak again…! I'm busy! Go scare off those Middle East terrorist saying their Evil God has descended!" Enzan cursed.

"Huh? Well. It could work! Heh, heh, heh."

"See? So go there with your express _Star Trek_ machine: they're about to rob you of the headlines at this rate!"

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… Not bad, kid. Don't be surprised if I appear on tomorrow's headlines in all major international media… Glory to the great and magnificent IQ – sama~!"

"Phew. We shook the freak off somehow."

"Not really, sir! Those freakish things from yesterday are crawling all over IPC's Cyber World and attacking all security Navis, sir!" Blues reported while fighting.

"DAMN YOU~!" Enzan growled.

"_No pain no gain_! Kid!"

"Alright, Blues, here are… Shit."

"Omega! Lend me a hand!"

"Sure! I'm fed up with these freaks!"

"Struggle, struggle AND STRUGGLE~!" "Nebula Grey" taunted them as the "face" formed higher in the air.

Omega and Blues ignored that and began to delete the enemies but more and more of them kept on gathering there: Omega suddenly frowned and seemed to realize something.

"Do you have an Elec Sword?"

"Huh? Yeah. I do."

"Good. Let's go! Battle Chip, Heavy Shake!"

"Huh! You can use Battle Chips too?"

"Hit this thing with the Elec Sword! NOW!"

Omega placed the Heavy Shake on the ground and Blues drew the Elec Sword: he jumped into the air and hit the Heavy Shake to cause a brutal magnetism release which hit all enemies: they suddenly "frizzled" and seemed to fade away.

"Those were copies generated by Video Man's "Playback" ability: the freak has copied that! No wonder they kept on coming but that they were deleted so easily! They're cheap!" Omega explained.

"Hmpf! That was but a warm-up… Next time the real stuff will descend upon you lowlifes and erase you from the surface! Mwah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah,"

"Shit. The freak fled… Grah! Let's compare notes and see if we're getting closer to figuring the place out!" Omega growled.

"Alright."

"Call the local police and look this one up too! 222 km SES of the party location… It's another highly probable candidate!"

03:07 AM (Japan Time), Monday July the 16th…

"… Heh, heh, heh. This time it's the "table"…"

"And the "machine"… Heh, heh, heh."

Now both twins had been set face-down on a table with chains connecting their ankles and necks to each other and thus having them be on their knees as another machine with a rotating disc and two vibrators relentlessly pumped in an out of their asses: the villains had seized their heads and were forcing them to take in their cocks.

"20 hours have passed! Less than 4 left! Once they elapse we'll let you release and you'll surely spend the rest of the day resting… And when you've recovered… We'll go for more!" Forte giggled.

"Sure, sure… Vadous can play Bruce Wayne all he wants but not even Bruce Wayne is perfect to begin with!"

_Saito – niisan… You're still there?_

_Yeah… I'm managing somehow… I'm managing to focus on something else instead of my bulging cock… Guess your stubbornness has helped me remain sane too… Now it doesn't look so impossible anymore… I believe we can do it, Netto – kun._

_Saito – niisan… Yeah… If it's us then… I only gotta focus on something else which isn't my cock, my ass, my nipples or my mouth… I'm trying to see how far I can recall things… _

_Let's show them we're tired of playing at their pace: bite their cocks and let them realize we're not powerless in case they haven't gotten the message already._

_Sure. They're gonna regret it._

Both suddenly bit the villains' cocks below the head and they yelped out of instinct: they released nevertheless and filled their mouths.

"So! You still wanna fight back… Amusing." Forte giggled.

"Ain't it? Let's punish them…"

Forte and Shirakami suddenly placed some kind of rings inside of their mouths which kept their jaws open and locked into place before they swapped places and began to force them to suck on again: they tried to close their jaws but it was impossible by now.

_Crap. Now I can't close my jaw._

_Don't care about that: we gave them a lesson they aren't likely to forget any time soon… And we'll beat them in battle too!_

_Sure! Now that I've got the Advanced PET II then I'm sure that we can stand up to them: look at how we progressed in the simulations we tackled on the Science Labs!_

_Let's not get cocky, either, Netto – kun._

_I know, Saito – niisan._

"Coming!"

"Eat up!"

Shirakami and Forte released inside of Saito and Netto's mouths respectively and then placed the ball-gag back there: a sound rang out (they couldn't see because they still had the blindfolds on) and they felt something hot dropping on their backs: they tried to arch their bodies out of instinct but the chain slabs kept them glued to the tables: the sensation repeated again.

"How's this? It's candle wax, you know."

"It's punishment for biting us, see~…" Shirakami giggled.

_Whatever! Drop all candle wax you want: we will make it through this!_

_Yeah! Your plans are futile and vain! As long as Netto – kun and I remain united then no freak will beat us! Not even that "Nebula Grey" freak will be able to overcome our united power…!_

"Heh, heh, heh. It'd seem they still have some will left…"

"Then let's make them feel our arts, Forte… Heh, heh, heh."

07:06 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Zzz… Zzz… Zzz…"

"… Huff. No luck over there either? Be quiet: Boss is napping so I'm running the coordination now… How's it like, Lartes?"

"Fua~h… Barely holding myself in place, Kir Osh… Laika – kun and Detective Misaki have collapsed by now…"

"Alright… I had Omega rest a pair of hours and also did the same with Blood Shadow… Sigma goes next now that those go back into the field: we've looked up about… 90 candidates? Jeez."

Kir Osh was a man around Vadous' and Lartes' age: his hair was neatly combed and blond in color while his eyes' irises were emerald greed in color.

He wore the armor he'd worn some days ago and was speaking with Lartes while leaning over the control console in a hushed tone: Vadous had collapsed as evidenced by how he was resting his head on the console and had leant his body forward.

"Dr. Lartes… I checked another candidate but no such luck, sir… My systems feel overheated…" Search Man reported with obvious tiredness as well.

"… Report… nothing…" Prism Man also sounded beaten up.

"This is Blues… Enzan – sama has collapsed too…"

"By all the… Where in the world are those two at?"

"Lartes! Gotcha! Gotcha!"

"What! Really, Omega?"

"I just went and checked a backup archive… While scanning the list again I found one we'd skipped… An old Army Detention Center shut down after Japan's surrender…! I checked satellite imagery but it's not where it should be at… It's gotta have some new kind of camouflage! And its registry had been erased beforehand by the brats!"

"By all the…"

"Zzz… Huh…? What… What time is it?"

"07:17 AM, Boss…"

"Oh by all the…! I feel asleep!"

"But we've found them!"

"WHAT?"

"What?" A chorus of voices rang out.

"Good! Omega, Blood, Sigma! Go there and kick their asses! Send them flying: but remember that this isn't vengeance! This is duty! We're the allies of justice! Those two can't be reduced so easily but I'll eventually find out the way to… Gotcha? Get back here, upload into the robot bodies and head over there!" Vadous commanded.

"Finally…!" Enzan gasped.

"We did it… somehow!" Misaki stretched.

"By all the… Our persistence paid off!" Laika yawned.

"I'm… glad… Huh…" Search Man muttered.

"Huh… Huff… Sorry, sir…"

Both collapsed inside of their PETs and looked like they'd fallen from overworking themselves: Blues also collapsed and Lartes lifted his eyebrows.

"Ah! Blues…! Good work…!" Enzan managed to smile.

"Search Man…! You've done your best… Thank you."

"Prism Man… You deserve some rest…"

"Alright! Blood, Sigma! To the HQ! NOW!"

"Mwah, hah, hah, hah. It's time to kick some asses!"

"I'd rather say time to give them a lesson…"

07:51 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Heh, heh, heh. Have you enjoyed riding in our cocks?"

"The time limit's very close by~…!"

Forte and Shirakami were seating on the king-sized bed and having each twin ride up and down their cocks while facing forward: Forte was raping Netto and Shirakami doing the same with Saito: they were also rubbing their cocks as is to further drive them crazy.

_Netto – kun…! We're almost there…! My body and mind feel foggy and remote but…! I can sense it! We're close to the end!_

_At last…! At last…! I only had two instant soups as meal in the whole day and I haven't been able to go to the toilet…!_

_Ugh! I know! But we gotta hold on…!_

"07:53:33 AM…" Forte teased.

"Less than 2 minutes left, cutie~…" Shirakami giggled.

_Whatever! Just finish it up already so that we can go and beat you: that's our duty! To defend the Cyber World from "evil"!_

_Yeah! Our duty as "Net Saviors", Netto – kun!_

"07:54:09 AM…"

"Less than 60 seconds, toy-boy~…"

_Go soda._ Netto began to mentally taunt.

_Go tuna. _Saito continued.

_Go codfish._

_Go mackerel._

_Go spaghetti._

_Go meatball._

_Get lost._ Both finished.

"… 07:54:54 AM…!"

"Heh, heh, heh…"

Both noticed how the villains' right hands' right were gripping the cock vibrator and the beads' ring while the left hand was about to loosen the bands tightened around their cock's bases.

"07:54:59… 07:55:00… Congratulations!"

"Prize~…"

_WE DID IT!_

They brusquely loosened the bands and took out both the vibrator and the beads: their cocks convulsed in a violent manner and began to shower them in white stuff for about two continuous minutes before they loosened and lost their hardness: their released tightened the inner muscles and made Forte and Shirakami release inside of their asses too.

_We did… it… Saito… niisan… _

_Ne… Netto – kun… I'm so… glad…_

Both hung their heads down as if to express that they had lost consciousness: Forte and Shirakami finally stopped the vibrators and left them atop the bed with the chain still connecting their necks: they removed the blindfolds to show that, oddly enough, they looked calm and relieved instead of having suffered.

"Whoa. So they actually endured it to very end."

"Heh. I told you they had potential."

The wall in front of them suddenly broke into shards as something impacted with it at a mad speed: dust swept the room and both quickly formed the armor over their cocks while drawing their weapons: two red eyes glowed in the dust and then two large hands gripped their helmets and faces to suddenly effortlessly lift them from the ground: a growl-like sound became visible and the glow of the eyes seemed to increase.

"Grrr… You damned brats… You've done it this time!"

"Shit." Shirakami cursed.

"No way!" Forte gasped.

The figure suddenly jumped outside of the room and down the wall into the outside to reveal that it was Sigma: he tossed them into the ground and then brought up his sword: he readied a pose by standing with his left side facing them and the sword aiming up and right: energy seemed to build up there.

"HROA~H!"

He suddenly swung his sword left in an angle where it hit both of their lower bodies when they'd stood up: the impact and energy were so big that the blow sent them flying at top speed towards the skies to quickly become out of sight.

"Boss! We've found them. But…"

"What, Omega?"

"Well… I'm sending live feed but it doesn't look like they went down suffering to me, does it, Boss?"

"By all the… True! So they actually endured whatever those two spoiled brats did to them?" Vadous gasped.

"It sure looks like it, Boss." Blood Shadow ventured.

"Mwah, hah, hah. The Evil Duo blasts off again!" Sigma made up a joke as if to try to relieve the tense atmosphere.

"Technically, that's not a "blast off" since there was no explosion and no shockwave…" Omega seemed to frown.

"Don't mind it, Omega. It's a joke." Vadous sounded like he'd liked the joke and he'd needed it to discharge bad mood.

"Let's bring them home, Boss."

"Yeah. Those two spoiled kids got their lesson."

"Mwah, hah, hah! Blast and blast off towards the infinite~!"


	29. Chapter 29: Source

**Chapter 29: Source**

10:10 AM (Japan Time), Tuesday July the 17th…

"… Unh… Huh… Uh… Huh…?"

"Ugh… Ah… Unh… Eh…?"

Netto and Saito slowly woke up to find out that they were lying on their house's bed and _futon_: the blinders were just half-closed allowing for light to come in and the birds were singing.

"We're home…? We made it…?" Netto wondered.

"Yes… I'm sure of that… And I think we've slept for over 24 hours as well but it's no wonder, really…"

The door opened and both Yuuichirou and Haruka came in: they looked half-sad and half-glad.

"Papa, Mama…"

"Relax. You're home. The nightmare's over."

"Like Yuuichirou – san said… You're safe now."

"We're sorry… We fell for such a silly trap…" Netto sighed.

"I thought we were mature enough to…" Saito began.

"Don't blame yourselves. No use crying over spilled milk."

"The breakfast's waiting: my specially baked pea cake~…"

"WHOA! Cake!"

"My stomach's rumbling…! I want some…!"

"Tee, heh, heh. See, Yuuichirou – san?" She giggled.

"Man. Haruka. You know them better than I do." He admitted.

"That's because Yuuichirou – san is so absent-minded…"

"I know…"

Netto and Saito quickly stood up and raced downstairs: a whole banquet had been set on the table and both looked awed.

"Go ahead! We already had breakfast." Yuuichirou invited.

"It's all for you~…" Haruka teased.

"Yum! _Itadakimasu_!"

Both began to eat although Saito was more paced and calmed than Netto who seemed to be an unleashed lion: both parents sat on the sofa and glanced over there while smiling.

"Man! I'm stuffed!"

"No wonder. Go have a shower, Netto – kun."

"Huh? You're still at that spot, niisan?"

"I'm not a devour-it-all glutton."

Netto stretched and sounded satisfied while Saito was not impressed: he suggested a course of action to Netto who blinked in surprise but then grinned and headed upstairs while Saito calmly continued his meal: he spotted that Yuuichirou was doing something with the Advanced PET II in the meanwhile.

"By the way. How did they find us?"

"Well. The 3 Musketeers began to compare notes sent by Dr. Lartes, Laika – kun and Misaki – kun from the Ministry of Habitation along with Enzan – kun and Vadous – san… In the end Omega found it in a backup server and realized the original register had been erased… But they checked over 100 similar spots with the help of the local police too… Most ended up collapsing from pushing themselves and are taking this day off to rest along with yesterday…" Yuuichirou explained.

"Wow. So Omega was the one who located us… What became of the culprits, though?"

"Sigma apparently used his sword's charged up strength to send them flying 8 kilometers across the skies."

"Whoa. Sigma sure is strong…"

"They then made their way back there and by then Omega had found out something else which they'd been working on… They've begun to rebuild the giant robot and were also aiming to somehow forcibly force you to undergo "Cross Fusion" to make you become the power source for that thing since they didn't have access to the materials used to build the initial power core… But I'd rather say they were aiming to use as human shield to try to impede them from striking it down…"

"I see." He calmly replied.

"The criminal "Nebula Grey" also caused some ruckus in the Middle East by slaughtering a whole terrorist commando somewhere in northern Africa too… And he even assaulted Vadous - san's HQ Cyber World but they managed to repel the attacks… Their ID is still unknown but it'd seem Vadous – san has decided to go interrogate the villain known as Anaya Maria to figure out at least which one of the other two it is but he's already guessed he's the second…"

"Ah yeah… I think they were supposed to mirror some video game characters…"

"Well. It'd seem that if they compare them then it'd match with the second of the "Snake" trio… "Liquid Snake"… A very intelligent man and competent fighter… The third one, "Solidus Snake", was a different tale because he even got to be the President of Ameroupe before he instigated a campaign against some mysterious organization… But he seemed to have very different aims altogether… So maybe "Admin 3" is going to be the type to look on from the background…"

"Hum. Well. I finished too so I'll go have a shower as well. Then I'll come cleanse all of this up…"

"Alright, dear."

Saito made it upstairs and found that Netto had arranged his bed back: the bathroom door was closed so he shrugged and crouched to begin fixing his bed: he didn't notice someone creeping from behind.

"Boo."

"YIKES!"

"Heh, heh, heh!"

"JEEZ! Netto – kun!"

Netto, having already changed into his usual clothes, was grinning at him while Saito looked both ashamed and annoyed.

"Oh! What a face!" He laughed.

"Jeez. Behave already!"

"Heh, heh, heh! When I show Blues…"

"Netto – kun! Behave, I told you!" Saito protested.

Netto grinned and ran out while Saito fumed and began to fix his bed: he then opened the cupboard and picked a pair of boxers and of socks before heading into the bathroom: he locked the door from the inside and took out his pajamas and another pair of boxers before stepping into the shower: he turned it on and soon steam built up.

"Ah… I missed this."

He put shampoo on his hair and washed it before he applied body lotion and distractedly glanced at the rope imprints left on his flesh as well as the imprints of the gear.

"Bah. They'll eventually fade away."

He finished showering so he put on the boxers and socks before combing his hair: satisfied, he came out and put on his shorts, shirt and blue vest to finish dressing up: he folded the pajamas and placed them under his _futon_ pillow: he stood up and stretched.

"Well! Guess we should be going to see the others and tell them we're alright… Let's get on the move."

_Those two failed, anyway. And they won't be able to come up with anything smarter anytime soon!_

10:55 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Man."

"You're still like that?"

"We had a perfect chance to carry out the project…"

"The robot's rebuilding ain't finished yet, you know."

"I know that but still…"

Forte was lazily laying face-up on the sofa while looking disappointed while Shirakami wasn't impressed and he read the daily newspapers: he looked calm and like he didn't care.

"How can ya be so calm and collected, anyway?"

"Guess Search Man passed that into me." He shrugged.

"Jeez. That ain't amusing. We're supposed to look evil."

"I don't go by decades-old _clichés_, Forte. And remember that I'm not a replacement for Saito. Don't try to fuck me."

"Of course not! I'm mature enough to respect our deal."

"Fine. But he who warns a traitor is not so you've been warned. The robot's rebuilding is about 90% completed but I guess we'll need the rest of this week to finish it up." Shirakami reminded him.

"Jeez! I want something interesting to happen."

"Such as?"

"Never mind. I was rambling aloud. Man. I now feel like a guy on his 20s who doesn't know what to look forward to or what to expect from life to begin with… How the mighty have fallen!" He groaned.

"Guess so."

"Shit. I need some stimulation. I'm going to re-watch the recordings and maybe that'll improve my mood…!"

"Alright. Go ahead, big guy."

"Sure, sure…"

Forte sluggishly stood up and walked out of the room while Shirakami began to play the Sudoku game the newspapers included: a beep began to ring out and he looked up, surprised.

"The phone..? Crap. Let's hope it's a mistaken number or else let's try to make them think they've dialed the wrong number and don't pick up if they call again…" He muttered.

He headed to the office-like room having the computer and picked a wireless phone to then press the "CALL REPLY" button.

"Hello?" Shirakami asked.

"Tell me, young man… Is it really you who want to inflict harm to others or is something influencing you?" Someone asked.

"Huh? Wrong number, mister."

"No, no. Don't be so quick, Shirakami – kun."

"Huh? How do ya know who I am? You're not "Nebula Grey", obviously enough, but you're the first one to ever call me like that…"

"K. S."

"K. S.? What's this about, whoever you are?"

"I'm trying to confirm a little theory of mine… I believe that it can explain the source of your "moods"… Yes. There's a reason to them and I think it isn't something you developed on your own… You've mentioned the other Admin right now, right? Number 2…"

"Wait a min! So you're the Number 3 Admin, then?"

"Correct. I've been monitoring both you and Admin 2… Back in March I heard about the whole "Crisis" tale but I was overseas so I missed pretty much the whole of it or else I would've been able to locate Forte easily enough to relay that information… I believe Forte is the source…"

"The source of what…?" Shirakami frowned.

"Well. The source of your own behavior…"

"I'd already figured that out."

"Maybe I should say that Forte wasn't like that at the start but that he ended up being influenced by an encounter with Admin 2 sometime in late January?" The man asked instead.

"B-but… By then the guy hadn't stolen the "Wily Program" off the "Reverse Cyber World", right?" Shirakami argued.

"Correct. But maybe Admin 2 somehow managed to implant the seeds of his current behavior into him to try to create an heir who would continue his work if he was captured or killed… And Forte passed that into you, hence your "sadist" behavior… But those are slight programs Admin 2 implanted into Forte and which then got passed into you… They alter your thoughts and distort them… To make you enjoy inflicting pain and humiliation into them… But I don't believe you, who aren't even 13 years old, can develop such a behavior on your own… Even if you're Rock Man's "reverse side"… It doesn't fit with me. And by looking around I dug up this data which seems to confirm my theory…"

"W-what! Then that guy has been using us to continue the work Anaya Maria began for him? He wanted us to be "hated foes" to everyone's eyes and such makes us deepen into our lust…?" He gasped.

"Exactly. That's what's going on. You must realize it or else that lust will only lead you to further danger… Into a point of no return… A place which obscures anyone's minds and where lust dominates your will along with the desire to rule over others… And I'm not trying to sound dramatic: that's what it is… What the "Secret Empire" was and is… Even without unity and even with internal strife… That place won't change. You MUSTN'T EVER come close to it. You've got one foot there and another in the surface but if you're not careful… You'll sink there… And won't rise twice: sinking even further…"

"A-ah… I… understand…" He was pale by now.

"Admin 2 is heartless villain. He will stop at nothing to destroy the future generations of the world. He will try to turn you into replicas of him just to laugh at us and say "I've got an heir and you've got nothing"… Do you get my point, Shirakami – kun?"

"Damn it. I sure do. I can totally picture that."

"So stay away from the "Secret Empire" and began to question yourself: try to scan your bodies for any program which has a tint of "evil" to it similar to a "Dark Chip"…"

"A-alright."

"And I don't mind your little "project" but it'll surely won't last 6 hours if I know Cousin Vadous well enough. When he gets annoyed then it's better to run for the shelter." The man warned.

"Y-yeah… OK…"

"Good. Maybe we'll speak again. If not… Remember my words. And think about them… Maybe one day you could try to start anew… Maybe in the future… It's all up to you. Goodbye."

"G-goodbye."

Shirakami replaced the receiver and looked at his hands: he seemed to start thinking right there because he didn't move at all: Forte came in from another room and looked surprised at seeing him immobile like that so he tried to wave a hand in front of him.

"Hullo~? Anyone home~? Shirakami~?"

"Huh! Ah! Huh… My bad. I began to slip away."

"Was it me or the phone rang?"

"It rang. And it turns out "K. S." or "Admin 3" was the caller… Say, Forte, can you remember any encounter with anything unusual back in January which you feel like it altered your thoughts?"

"Well… Now that you mention it… I was resting in a van I'd picked and I vaguely remember some weird dream…"

"What was that dream about?"

"Hum… It's very blurry… Some kind of figure looming over my Navi body and making a Darth Vader – like SFX… I thought I was overreacting because I'd recently tried to watch _The Empire Strikes Back_ and got engrossed with it so I thought I was dreaming about being in the movie or something like that… By the time I woke up there was nothing weird to be seen but over the following days… I began to picture Hikari and Rock Man more and more… I began to imagine them naked… And then submitted to my control… I formed a cock of my own too and that's when I began to set the foundations for what I would do in March… I never linked both of those together until you asked me… Wait… Are you trying to tell me that…?" He began to recall before he seemingly spotted the connection.

"Yeah. That "figure" was the "Nebula Grey" freak who wanted to make of you his insurance, his heir, in case he was captured or killed… He used his Navi to inflict that into you… Maybe his Navi is a shell with no personality and serves as an extension of his power into the Cyber World… Not unlike how Laser Man was an extension of Regal into the Cyber World although he knew he was someone apart from Regal… You know: their voice tone was the very same and such… And I think that Regal sometimes used Laser Man as a walking speaker too…"

"Yikes. Then you mean that I've done insofar was because that "Nebula Grey" freak manipulated me in an off-handedly manner to make sure I'd end up becoming as evil as the freak?" He gasped.

"Sure as Hell. We gotta scan our bodies and stay MILES away from the "Secret Empire" remains or else we'll end up dragged in and we won't be able to escape, sinking into our lust…"

"Oh man. G-gotcha… I'll tune in the scan machine… What did he say about our project, though? How long would it last?"

"He says less than 6 hours. When that Vadous guy gets pissed off then you'd be better off running to the shelter."

"Oh man. Well. Guess we'll pull it and see what happens." Forte sighed and rolled his eyes.

"He suggested that maybe going away for some time, maybe for a year or such, could make us cool it off along with the other guys and maybe we could try a different approach…" Shirakami added.

"Well… That's not crazy… Say… How did he figure out about where we were and the phone number? He got the information from the Net Police by hacking their files?" He wondered.

"Maybe. I dunno."

"Alright…"

Forte walked out while Shirakami sat on the sofa and sighed while hanging his head down: he seemed to be concerned.

_What if… What if, in the end, what both of us are looking for is but recognition and a "bond"…? People seek "bonds"… What makes Netto – kun and Saito strong is their "bond"… _

"Alright. I'm tuning the scanner. I'll go first and then we can try to find where those files are at…"

"Look for anything which looks remotely like a "Dark Chip" or a "Dark Aura"… Something "evil" different from them but, at the same time, similar…" Shirakami instructed.

"Roger. By the way…"

"Yeah? Did you figure out something?"

"Admiral Roger is fond of the Jolly Roger Cocktail."

"What the hell is that supposed to be…?" Shirakami asked with annoyance he didn't bother to conceal.

"My new supreme and invincible motto~…! It'll become a viral phenomenon over the Cyber World and everyone will sing it! _Yay! Check it out_! Heh, heh, heh, heh! I'm so clever, really~… Right, Shira – chan?"

"Oh heck. He got cocky now? Better than that annoyed, guess…"

"Shira – chan is going to dance~! Heh, heh, heh!"


	30. Chapter 30: Calm summer

**Chapter 30: Calm summer**

11:11 AM (Japan Time), Thursday July the 19th…

"… Guts, guts! Oh! Guts! You gotta be the bad guy! Guts!"

"Huh? What? Ya mean me?"

"I'll defeat you and protect Roll – chan! De guts!"

"Well… Let's settle it on the arena…"

"Go, Guts Man! My new God Cannon Battle Chip which I got from that guy for a bargain price will do wonders!"

"Guts, guts!"

"Mwah, hah, hah. So you're feeling cocky~… Eh?"

"Whatever the ever! Ugly!"

"Mwah, hah, hah… Alright, name's Sigma… Let's go the arena, King Kong's grandson!"

"Guts? King Kong's grandson? What's a "King Kong"?"

"Mwah, hah, hah. Now that's amusing!"

Guts Man had been walking down the streets of "New" Internet City when he spotted Sigma looking at a screen displaying some F-1 race somewhere: he signaled him with the right hand's index finger and Dekao began to boast too: Sigma grinned and looked amused.

"Follow me, fella…"

"Hah! I'll defeat that slow-looking guy in 30 seconds or less!"

Both made their way to the stadium: Sigma looked around and spotted that Rock Man was one of the persons in the public: he looked surprised at seeing Sigma there but said nothing: Roll was sitting at his right and looked in high spirits.

_Mwah, hah, hah, hah. The Princess is dating the Prince~? Bloody~ Shadowy~! If ya don't hurry then the Prince will beat ya to it!_

"Guts, guts! Guts Hammer!"

"Mwah, hah, hah… Demon Rings!"

"Guts!"

Sigma suddenly hovered into the air and extended his left hand forward to generate some thing blue-colored rings of energy about two meters tall which travelled forward at different heights and the trick seemed to be in timing your jumping, skidding or ducking to make it through them but Guts Man merely tried to attack them with the Guts Hammer only to make contact with one and get electrocuted.

"Mwah, hah, hah. My rings clock up to 100,000 Volts each! Pikachuu let me borrow 'em, ya see~…" He joked.

"Wha~t?" Dekao growled.

"All's fair in battle… Demon Fire!"

"What!"

"Guts!"

Sigma's eyes glowed and he shot two thin continuous red lasers which drew a circle around Guts Man and fire ensued there: Sigma's body seemed to suddenly "bend" the air and he vanished to reappeared above Guts Man and bring his sword down into the ground to hit Guts Man with it: the blow had him roll across the ground but he got to his feet nevertheless and swung the arms.

"Guts Machine Gun!"

He shot some rounds at Sigma but they bounced off his shield: Sigma grinned and suddenly began to jump while swinging the blade up and down in a 90º arch: it hit Guts Man several times in a row and then Sigma gripped his hands with the left hand to effortlessly lift him into the air: Guts Man tried to kick Sigma but his kicks bounced off the shield to begin with.

"Mwah, hah, hah! It's over!" He laughed.

"Battle Chip, Area Steal! Hah! Something I learnt from Higure – san: and now the finishing blow!"

"Mwah, hah, hah… Come~…" He invited.

"Battle Chip, God Cannon! Slot In!"

"God Cannon! De guts!"

Guts Man drew a Mega Cannon Battle Chip with the "kami" _kanji_ colored golden set on its sides and shot but only some bubbles came out of it and began to pop out alone: Dekao looked horrified, Guts Man looked like he didn't understand anything and Sigma frowned.

"Bubbles?" He wondered.

"Bubble Man…!" Rock Man muttered.

"Bubble Man? Oh. You mean that "Darkloid" who always speak saying "puku" and is Water – Elemental? He tried to sell me the same thing two days ago for 5000Z… I said no and then told him to sell those to Ms. Smith so he ran off searching for "Ms. Smith"…" Roll shrugged and sounded rather amused.

"5000Z! And Dekao called that a bargain." Netto muttered.

"When he gets thick-headed…" Meiru shrugged.

"Well! That failed but I've still got something! Program Advance! Count Bomb, Triple Slot In! Giga Count Bomb! GO~!"

"Giga Count Bomb, de guts!"

Guts Man threw the Giga Count Bomb at Sigma and it detonated causing a cloud of smoke: Dekao grinned but his smile froze when he saw that Sigma's barrier was still intact.

"What was that…? That Program Advance was far from complete: its effects amount to Zero…" Sigma sounded puzzled.

"Dekao… You still didn't realize…?" Netto sighed.

"Yeah… That the "WWW" guys lost in purpose to shake him off…"

"Guts, guts?"

"Well? Are you gonna shoot?" Sigma asked.

"Battle Chip, Mega Guts Punch! Slot In!"

"Mega Guts Punch!"

Guts Man shot the Mega Guts Punch forward but Sigma let go of his sword and turned off his barrier to grab it and begin to spin Guts Man around before he tossed him upwards, and, once on the air, landed a kick on his chest thus making him collide with violence with the grass and leave a trail on his skidding: Sigma used his hover engines to slowly land back on the ground and pick his sword.

"So? Want more, King Kong's grandson? Mwah, hah, hah."

"T-this JERK!"

"Mwah, hah, hah. It's over! Demon Sword!"

He got into the pose of the other day and built up energy while Guts Man tried to run towards him: Sigma unleashed it and the blow sent Guts Man to collide with the energy field around the arena: he got electrocuted and dropped into the ground to then be automatically retrieved as the "LOGOUT" sign made clear: a buzzer rang out.

"Newcomer to Japan Internet City, Sigma – sama, proves his wits and strength in a type of battle never seen before~! DE MASU~!" Higure's voice suddenly rang out.

"Higure – san is back to being the broadcaster? It's like when the "N1 Grand Prix" 9 months ago?" Rock Man wondered.

"Looks like it, _darling_." Roll teased.

"B-but, Roll – chan, we're not even 13…!" He blushed.

"Come on! A tease is a tease, Rock Man!"

"Phew."

"Tee, heh, heh, heh."

"OI~! NETTO~!" Dekao yelled.

"Not again." Netto grumbled.

"Dekao – kun: let's settle that once you cut the line." Meiru instruct of him in a dull tone of voice.

"Yikes. A-alright… Oi! Ya! Sigma! I'll beat ya next time around!"

"Mwah, hah, hah… Come anytime, Ooyama Dekao~!"

Dekao, Netto and Meiru shut their screens while Roll suddenly hugged Rock Man's right arm and his blushing increased.

"Please, Roll – chan…! This is a public location…!"

"You got me SO worried… It's my little payback. Tee, heh, heh."

"Oh lovely." He rolled his eyes.

"Tee, heh, heh." Yaito giggled.

"Yaito – sama… I do not find it funny…" Glyde sighed.

"Trouble, trouble…" Hikawa dully muttered.

"Trouble, desu…"

"By the way! Tooru – kun! Isn't your birthday today?" Rock Man looked at his screen.

"What? Oh yeah! We're going to do a party this evening too."

"Cool! Maybe I can introduce ya to one of my maids."

"E~H?" Hikawa gasped.

"Tee, heh, heh. Gotcha, gotcha."

"Yaito – chan…!" He groaned.

"What's wrong with everyone today…? Is today the "Gotta Tease Everyone Day" or what?" Rock Man sighed.

"Cha never know! Tee, heh, heh!" Yaito giggled.

11:55 AM (Japan Time)…

"… So you were here. Dr. Wily."

"Hum. Dark Miyabi… It'd seem your orbit picks me as your gravity body to orbit, doesn't it? Heh, heh, heh."

"Hmpf…"

"Well… That wasn't a bad joke…"

"Don't get in the mood too…"

"Hello there, gentlemen…"

Dr. Wily had been sitting in a bench in the Akihara Park when Dark Miyabi walked over to him: Dr. Wily looked up and directed a broad grin at Miyabi who didn't find it funny and even less his joke but Shadow Man began to get in the mood: Lezareno suddenly walked up to them.

"So you're Lezareno…"

"Correct, Dr. Wily. You must remember me from the mall day. Gauss Magnets has managed to avoid prison paying a huge amount of money as damage compensation… It'd seem he had some in Switzerland, according to the data "Octopus – han" found out by the request of Mr. Sponsor, who seems to have figured out who they are…" He explained.

"So, _Danna_… Wesker – sama has complained already?" Shadow Man amusedly asked.

"Sorry? Wesker? I don't know him."

"Heh, heh, heh. Then never mind."

"What. You mean to say he's a look-alike?"

"Yeah. That's what I mean to say."

"Well. They say that there are two persons who look exactly like you out there to so… It's not impossible to begin with." He shrugged.

"Heh, heh, heh… No, not impossible at all…" Wily chuckled.

"I laugh at such foolishness! Die!"

"What!"

Some of those "soldiers" suddenly began to form out of the central fountain and drew their blades: Lezareno drew a PET II and inputted some commands: he lifted it up and the "soldiers" began to vibrate before breaking down into raw data: Shadow Man was slicing some which had showed up around him in the Cyber World.

"Evil Source!"

He threw a spheroid of fire at some and then made his _katana_ vibrate with a special frequency to slice them up and cancel their regeneration abilities.

"Kage Bunshin!"

He formed several "Kage Bunshins" which began to strike the "soldiers" en masse: Shadow Man was focused on that and didn't spot the "monster" forming behind him and gripping him with the right hand.

"I'll grant you a slow and painful end like that fool!"

"Too bad. That's a "bunshin" too."

"What!"

"I'm here!"

The real Shadow Man suddenly "dived" out of the ground and cut some of the spears emerging from the monster's back: they frizzled and some streaks of purplish electricity began to spread at wild: the "monster" roared and suddenly glowed with a menacing white glow before it vanished altogether: the "soldiers" vanished as well.

"Damn. That man's not kidding." Lezareno growled.

"By all the… What freaks!" Miyabi cursed.

"If only I had destroyed the "Wily Program" back then…!"

"No use crying over spilled milk, Dr. Wily…"

12:09 PM (Japan Time)…

"… But… Really, Vadous – san… You're not annoyed with us?"

"No. Not really."

"But…"

"No, I insist. It was a fun challenge. When I called you yesterday evening regarding how Lartes had helped shut down an illegal drugs lab then you got excited when you said you wanted to help and said you needn't "Plug-In" to do that so I realized what Enzan – kun's smile meant…"

"Ah… We're sorry, though!"

"It's alright…"

The twins were talking with Vadous via video-conference and looked somewhat nervous and guilty while Vadous tried to look welcoming and calm.

"By the way, Boss…"

"What's up, Omega?"

"I met Shadow Man. The freaks showed up at his spot and so did the big freak… He managed to cut those spears on the back and handed them to me for analysis… I had to sterilize them because they were filled with brutally high amounts of "Dark Aura"… It'd seem the _loco_ guy actually mixed up the "Wily Program" with huge amounts of "Dark Power" taken from somewhere. And that "somewhere" happened to be the Net Police's HQ storage computer… Storage of rounded up "Dark Chips"… Hikari! Remember that cache you stumbled upon the day before Desert Man sprang that trap in the old factory?" Omega explained before calling out.

"Oh yeah! I found it 'cause I'm a Super Ultra Perfect Special Great "Net Savior", ya know! Hah, hah, hah, hah!" He laughed.

"Oh. Not that again." Saito rolled his eyes.

"Ah? Well. Guess so. I'd rather name it "dumb luck"… But point is: the _loco_ guy has been robbing them and placing dummies there…"

"How?" Vadous asked.

"By employing some janitor…"

"Some janitor… Couldn't that "janitor" be the guy in person? We don't know anything about their appearance, you know." Vadous argued back while rubbing his chin.

"Could be…"

"Hey… What does "loco" mean?"

"Huh? That? "Crazy"…" Omega shrugged.

"Heh, heh, heh! Yeah! The guy's stirring crazy~!"

"Don't get cocky, Netto – kun."

"Did ya say somethin', niisan? Remember the "Cross Fusion" test we did yesterday afternoon? It was cool!"

"But that doesn't make you invincible."

"It makes me stronger!"

"There's still the 5 Chip limit. We need someone to back us up with the "Battle Chip Gate"…" Saito argued back.

"Well. Apart from that, I found out that the thing can create the "3D images" yeah, and apparently transfer data… Which I think it did into Rock Man's body back when their encounter… Maybe it was supposed to power up Shirakami so that he'd take over…" Omega added.

"I see. Well. Let's keep them stored for further analysis: it might lead us to the true colors of that _loco_ guy, yeah…"

"Mwah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah… King Kong's grandson shuns his grandpa's name, Bloody~ Shadowy~! Did ya know that?"

"I did, Sigma. I saw the battle of a while before too."

"Higure is gonna sponsor the "De Masu Club", ya see~…"

"Higure – san? I wouldn't be surprised."

"We wouldn't either." The twins muttered.

"When it comes to Higure Yamitarou…" Vadous shrugged.

"Expect something crazy, huh?" Omega merely lifted the right eyebrow and wasn't surprise.

"Yeah. That's the point."

"By the way, Rock Man's gonna beat ya~…" Sigma whispered next but his voice seemed to echo somewhere and rang out inside of the room they were in too.

"Could be."

"No, I don't mean a Net Battle~…"

"Then what?"

"That girl, Roll… She's gonna pick Rock Man if ya don't hurry and bring her some white roses, see~…"

"By all the… They're good friends and they've known each other ever since September: 10 months ago. I don't wanna but into that to begin with, Sigma… Go look up any new trailers for _Pokémon XD: Dark Wind Dark Lugia_, will you? It's supposed to come out by next month." Blood Shadow sighed in defeat.

"Mwah, hah, hah… I'll go smash "Shadow" and find out who's in charge this time around… Gotta be some Dr. Wily fan… That Wardack guy sure looked like it… And was hiding with as the Phenace City Mayor with the name of Backley… Mwah, hah, hah, hah…"

"Yeah! I knew that! So go beat the "Mirror Mode" of _Mario Wart: Double Dash _using your favorite combo of drivers, will you?"

"Sure. I'll introduce Guts Man to Donkey Kong: they'll soon become sworn cousins ready to eat hundreds of bananas each day~…"

"That was crazy." Saito muttered.

"Don't mind it. We've got the birthday party later on! Let's go! Heh, heh!"


	31. Chapter 31: Friend gathering

**Chapter 31: Friend gathering**

17:45 PM (Japan Time), Thursday July the 19th…

"… Oh. Yes. I did email a message to you two some days ago saying that I'd met Vincent in Houston 3 years ago…"

"Yeah. Does Yamato – sensei remember why he was in Houston to begin with? Isn't he a Mexican?"

Netto and Saito were speaking with Enkada after they'd finished the afternoon session and both Zao and Kori had left.

"Hmmm… As far as I can remember it was a meeting between some executives of the "Committee" and other people who claimed to be members of the "Company"…" Enkada brought a hand to his chin and pronounced the word "Company" in English.

"What did they do? They exported Mexican _burritos_ into Ameroupe, perhaps?" Saito asked with a smile.

"Nah. By "Company" I don't mean your everyday company. It's the same as the "Bureau"… Those are nicknames."

"The "Company" and the "Bureau"…" Netto frowned and didn't seem to realize how they were linked.

"I mean to say the CIA and the FBI." Yamato let out.

"Wha!" Both gasped in surprise.

"Then… Vincent was a CIA agent?" Saito assumed.

"Yeah. But they kicked him out not too long after that. I never bothered to look up the reason, but I'm sure he made a slip of the tongue and revealed his affiliation to the Mexican Communist Party. The CIA is still very paranoid when it comes to Sharo – related stuff." Mr. Denpa told them, bringing a hand to his chin.

"I'm surprised they didn't spot it at first. I mean… The CIA is supposed to have very strict background checks on its staff. Isn't that right?" Netto asked.

"I heard somewhere that the interviewer was a newbie who didn't know how to properly conduct it and was totally fooled by Vincent. I'm sure they kicked him out, too, along with Vincent, back then." Enkada suddenly recalled.

"Whoa. So it was a chain of errors?" Saito assumed.

"It sure looked like it. Ever since then they've become even stricter when it comes to security."

"That was very interesting." Netto nodded in understanding.

"One thing: tell "Octopus – han" to not to try to fish out Vincent's file from the CIA servers. They could get into a hell of a mess. The CIA knows a lot about encryption protocols and such."

"… Ah! We will tell the dude … But I'm sure it wouldn't be as reckless as to do this…" Saito got the point.

"Excellent, gentlemen. I shall be going. We shall meet tomorrow afternoon."

"Good-bye, Yamato – sensei." Both stood up and politely bowed.

"One thing is clear: I'm sure that seeing Denpa – san being such a high officer at a young age while he was a mere agent surely triggered some jealously on him and thus tried to prove that he was smarter than him in his way." Saito suggested.

"Yeah. That must be why he organized that "kidnapping" thing in front of their noses." Netto nodded in agreement.

"OK! Lead the way, Sergeant." Saito suddenly joked.

"Sergeant…?" Netto frowned.

"It's – a – secret!" Saito teased.

"You like teasing people, huh?"

"I do, Sergeant." Saito shrugged.

"How lovely."

17:58 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Phew! Hot, too hot… Luckily the AC works so…"

Laika was working with his laptop inside of his apartment humming a tune when his PET II rang.

"Who is it, Search Man?" He questioned.

"It's Ijuuin Enzan, Laika - sama." Search Man reported.

"Patch him through." He ordered.

"Roger."

Enzan appeared onscreen, looking sleepy and having purple bags under his eyes along with a totally disarrayed hair.

"My. Enzan. You're starting to plan your Halloween costume?" Laika teased with a smug smile.

"Laika… Do ya have a sofa or a spare bed over there?" Enzan asked while barely repressing a yawn.

"Let me guess: you don't want to go your apartment and have the gateman tell how ugly you looked at your father."

"Yeah. So?" Enzan confirmed before asking again.

"I have a sofa." Laika replied.

"I owe you one."

"You'll have plenty of chances to return it to me."

"I'm heading over there on foot." Enzan announced.

"I'll be waiting."

The communication ended and Search Man reappeared onscreen while looking amused.

"Blues has told me it was his idea." He revealed with a smile.

"It's no wonder."

"Mwah, hah, hah… No Wonder Man came~… Along with the bloody stormy wave~…"

"Sigma… What news do we have on Shade Man?"

"Huh? Ah. Dracula XXVI? The guy's just trying to rebuild the "Darkloids" by hijacking repair machines but their data was way too complex to be properly rebuilt… It'd seem he's tried going to the tanker and found a reception committee in the form of the freaks… He barely made it outta there alive while the _loco_ guy laughed." He sighed.

"Lovely." Laika sighed.

There was a ringing sound so Laika headed over to the panel to control access into the building lobby and spotted Enzan barely standing on his feet there: he smiled and opened the door so Enzan got inside and headed off-camera apparently for the elevator.

"Well. He'll be here soon."

"Is that VP – sama~? He's come to tell ya: what is so great about the Advanced PET II! Mwah, hah, hah!"

"Guess so." Laika smiled.

"Laika – sama, sir… Ijuuin said he was still dragging tiredness from that other frantic day and combined with kicking some useless salesmen who don't realize IPC can do their projects for less than their suggested budget…" Search Man sighed.

"Laika~… Open Sesame~…" Enzan called out from the hall.

"Sure."

Laika opened the door and Enzan sluggishly headed over the sofa: he lazily took out his shoes and then jumped into it to start sleeping right then: Laika picked his Advanced PET II and opened the cover.

"Sorry for the bother." Blues apologized.

"Don't mind, Blues. Enzan needed some rest: we all know it. So let's let him rest." Laika smiled.

"Mwah, hah, hah… Blues! I'll show ya my heating up battle against King Kong's grandson, see~…"

"Guts Man, you mean? Well. Why not." He grinned.

"Wait a min. Plug In! Blues, Transmission!"

Laika aimed for his laptop's Plug-In port and Blues got inside while Sigma brought up the footage of the battle.

"Higure added his own comments, see."

"…and there goes a shield never before seen unless my glasses are pending a re-customizing, de masu…"

"Yamitarou! Don't admit you're short-sighted!" Number Man whispered to him but loud enough for the mike to pick him up.

"…sword which can surely pierce through love, de masu…"

"Don't say nonsense, Yamitarou!"

"Pyurururu?" Aqua Man wondered close by.

"Chut!"

"Higure – san looks… strange." Kido Shuuko muttered.

"Aqua Man doesn't know! Pyu!"

"…boots which would allow me to bring Mariko – sensei to a sky-high date, de masu…"

"Now isn't the time to talk about Mariko – sensei!"

"…fists which I'd like to have to win in wrestling, de masu…"

"You'd have to sign in as "light-weighted"…" Number Man argued.

"…wish my eyes' light would connect with Mariko – sensei's and we could express our mutual love for each other, de masu…"

"YAMITAROU~! Don't say that aloud, you _baka_!"

"…slender figured I'd like to have, de masu…"

19:19 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Happy Birthday!"

"Thank you!"

Netto, Saito, Yaito, Dekao, Chisao (who'd been introduced to Saito as well) and Meiru had come to Hikawa's house for his 12th birthday as they'd announced some hours earlier.

They were all sitting around a table where a chocolate cake had been placed: Hikawa's father was also there.

"Congratulations, Tooru." He told him.

"Thanks, Dad." Tooru smiled.

"Congratulations, Tooru – kun, desu!" Ice Man smiled at him.

"Thank you, everyone!"

They all sat down on the chairs around the chair while Hikawa's father cut the cake into slices and handed them to each of the guests: as usual, Yaito had brought over some bottles of strawberry milk.

_This is the first birthday I assist as a person. _Saito was commenting to Netto while sounding content.

_Don't worry about it, niisan! Enjoy the Ultra Super Delicious Chocolate Cake! _Netto tried to cheer the mood up.

Saito blinked an eye to him and began to eat the chocolate cake while Netto actually devoured it, being the glutton he was.

"It was exquisite!" He exclaimed.

"There he goes. I'm surprised he doesn't end up like Dekao." Yaito giggled and sounded amused.

"That's because Dekao - kun could bother to do some exercise instead of doing nothing." Meiru nonchalantly told him.

"Yeah! Niichan! You're ugly! Chu!" Chisao told him.

"What!" Dekao uttered.

"Guts, guts! Who is the ugly guy, guts?" Guts Man asked while having seemingly not heard the whole conversation.

"Your hide is." Roll told him.

"Wa~h! Gattsu~! Roll – chan doesn't like Guts Man, guts! Gatttsu~! How terrible, de guts!" Guts Man began to cry.

"Go see that Aki – chan of yours." Roll sneered.

"O~h! Aki –chan! Wait for me, guts!" Guts Man uttered.

He actually ran out of the house's Cyber World and Roll looked amused to have fooled him.

"Desu! Roll – san does know how to deal with Guts Man, desu!" Ice Man looked surprised.

"It's no wonder." Glyde amusedly commented.

"Hah! Dekao! Your Navi is outdated!" Yaito told him next while sipping some strawberry milk.

"What!" Dekao hissed.

"Chu! Guts Man only knows to break things! Chu! Niichan should name him Destroy Man! Chu!" Chisao giggled.

"You little runt…!" Dekao cursed.

"Well, Tooru – kun! There goes Yaito – chan: she's always seeing to provoke the dude." Netto whispered to Hikawa.

"That's right, Netto – kun. Yaito – chan likes teasing people… I wouldn't be surprised if she picks someone else tonight."

"It wouldn't surprise me, either." Saito admitted.

"Attention! I'm gonna announce something: Dekao's hairstyle is outdated!" Yaito announced.

"It's the Ultimate Hairstyle!" Dekao boasted.

"It's the Ultimate Outdated Hairstyle!" Yaito countered.

"Wha~t?"

"So! Netto! What's your plan?" Meiru asked.

"Huh? What? Me? Well. Apart from the upcoming 6th grade then I don't have any other "plans"… I guess I'll continue the self-defense classes too 'cause they're useful…"

"Good. But remember… I go first."

"First on what…? On the name list…? But Sakurai is after Hikari…" Netto frowned next.

"Jeez. Are you really SO dense?" She complained.

_Beware, Netto – kun! Meiru – chan wants to force you to admit you'll become her boyfriend and that you better not try going out with another girl…! So you gotta be careful of what you reply…_

_Crap! But I've got no interest in girls, really… Seeing how now guy on guy seems to be the fashion… It feels modern…_

_Well. But don't say that aloud. Try to make some half-hearted answer which will be enough for today… Quick!_

"Eh… Well… Who knows?"

"Heh. Cha try to sneak outta this through the back-door but I know cha all too well, Hikari Netto… If I see another gal around… Then it'll become _girl's fight_!" She exclaimed.

"Uh-oh." Hikawa Sr. muttered.

"What, Mom is like that too?" Hikawa Jr. asked.

"Well… Use to be back when middle school… But the _girls' fight_ is just a battle of wits to see who can memorize more cooking recipes step by step and prepare them…" He whispered to him.

"Ah! For a moment I thought they fought each other with frying pans or something like that…"

"Well. It's not illogical to think that…"

"Niichan! When are ya gonna tell them that "God Cannon" was a fake that Bubble Man Navi sold niichan? Chu!"

"No! I programmed it! I'm a genius!"

"What's Java?" Saito suddenly asked.

"Huh? A tropical island somewhere…" Dekao muttered.

"Then you lied."

"Wha! Why?"

"Java's one of the most used and wide-spread programming systems out there: if you claim to be a programmed you MUST have heard of Java sooner or later. What's "C"?" Saito questioned next.

"C? An Alphabet letter… Chocolate, for example…"

"Another proof of your lies, Dekao – kun… "C" is another of the main programming systems… Bubble Man sold that to you: he tried to sell one to Roll – chan too. Didn't the guy, Roll – chan?"

"Yes! _Darling_!"

"Oho." Hikawa Sr. smiled.

"No, sir! It's a joke, sir! Besides! I'm a person, and Roll – chan is a Navi, sir: we can't interact with each other save via the PET, sir!"

"But one day Papa will figure out how to materialize Navis without a "Dimensional Area", like the Evil Duo did! Niisan… And then things will get _hot_, _boiling hot_, niisan…" Netto teased.

"Yikes."

"Tee, heh, heh, heh. Then I'll be looking forward to that!"

"Oh lovely. I always seem to run into trouble for some reason or another: and stop making those jokes! Netto – kun! I don't like them."

"You prefer Uncle Joke's puns! Heh, heh, heh!"

21:21 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Ya two really don't wanna come with my limo?"

"No, thank you. We'll walk. And we've got an escort."

The party had ended and everyone was heading back at home: the twins told Yaito that they preferred walking to her limo.

_It must be full of her maids!_ Saito warned Netto.

_Yeah. And they'll try to tease us. _Netto agreed on it.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh! No dude will show up in front of the invincible Dekao – sama!" Dekao boasted.

"Chu! Just move it! Niichan!" Chisao told him.

"I'll go with Yaito – chan." Meiru announced.

"Thank you for coming! Everyone." Hikawa Jr. thanked.

"It's nothing! Beware of my next scheme!" Yaito replied before grinning and sounded like she was up to something.

"What scheme?" Dekao asked.

"It'll be putting an Elton John wig on ya." Yaito let out.

Everyone laughed and Dekao looked defeated.

"Good-bye!"

"Good-bye!"

The twins began to walk back home and spotted a car with Karasu and Mori as the drivers following them at a distance.

"Well! Today was an entertaining day! Tooru – kun looked so happy: that's nice to see! And I'm sure the Evil Duo will soon have to pack and go somewhere far, far away! To Coruscant, I guess! Heh, heh!"

"Sure. They'd be better off starting to pack."

_But, Netto – kun… That will not be the end… The freak is still there…!_


	32. Chapter 32: One step forward

**Chapter 32: One step forward**

11:51 AM (Japan Time), Friday July the 20th…

"… Mugro~h! Come out! Dr. Regal! Show your hide! Dr. Regal! Where are you at? Come out! Mugro~h!"

"Stop right there, Shade Man."

"What! The bastard's newest puppet…?"

"Wrong. Regal got removed from the picture four months ago: he's no longer involved. Go bust your castle."

"Shaddup! We "Darkloids" will rule the surface!"

"Just you and Bubble Man…?"

"Che!"

"I'm one of the guys who beat your underlings, see."

"You lowlife…!"

"Go back home. _Dracula go home_."

Shade Man began to run amok "New" Internet City when Omega appeared to try to shoo him away: Shade Man only seemed to get further annoyed to begin with.

"CRUSH NOISE!"

"Hmpf."

Omega suddenly jumped twice into the air while leaving a trail of "afterimages" on his wake: he drew the gun and shot at Shade Man's right knee but he drew his wings and jumped into the air while roaring and sticking out his claws.

"Hroa~h!"

"_Dracula – go – home_." He grumbled with some annoyance.

"DIE~!"

"_Go home_."

Omega delivered a kick on his face with the right foot and then jumped to hit his back with both feet: Shade Man got propelled towards the ground and crashed inside of a cyber building: Omega gave chase and spotted a cloud of bats circling around him: they dived for him but he merely drew a lance with three cylindrical tubes and his pyramidal saber blade at the end: he swung it around to draw a laser circle and sliced up the whole of the bats.

"Shade Hand!"

A gigantic detached right claw formed and gripped Omega but he immediately sliced it on half: Shade Man lurched for him but Omega merely jumped and hit the lower jaw with his right foot to stun him and the grip him and throw him forward using some martial art: Shade Man hit the wall and quickly got to normal position.

"DIE~! DIE~! DIE~!"

"Hmpf."

Omega jumped into the air again and drew his gun: he shot at the right knee and met his target: he quickly drew the saber and drove it into the left shoulder next.

"So?" He dully asked without beating an eyebrow.

"Red Wing!"

"Stubborn. Whatever. Hack yourself into some game and create your own "Darkloid rule age" there." Omega taunted in a bored manner.

Omega quickly sliced the air around him to delete some of the bats and Shade Man reformed behind him again.

"CRUSH NOISE~!"

The attack did hit Omega but he merely let it push him to the opposite wall to use his feet to bounce off it, draw a chain with an energy blade at the end, and shoot it at the ceiling to use it as swinging rope.

"Get out."

He hit Shade Man's face fully and Shade Man growled as he tried to cut through the air with his claws but Omega was already past his reach and had left a Giga Count Bomb Program Advance there.

"Eat medicine."

The Giga Count Bomb went off and Shade Man had to shield his body but Omega used the distraction to form the Giga Cannon Program Advance which he loaded up.

"Fire."

The Program Advance blew off his right wing so Shade Man snarled but didn't realize Omega had another shot ready: this second shot blew out the left wing thus removing his defenses.

"You know what? I'll seal you up in the bottom of the castle: this way you won't be bothering us anymore. I don't delete because I want to: we deleted your accomplices because they posed a threat and they were criminals who'd inflicted harm directly or indirectly with their incidents in the first place…" Omega muttered.

"Try it, human's puppet!"

"Did you really think than less than 13 "Darkloids" would really be able to conquer the real world? There are 4 billion humans and over a billion Navis out there… In short: you'd been beaten by the "Net Saviors" sooner or later. Look at what happened to Plant Man and the guy you "recruited", Bowl Man. You even went and deleted Video Man by your own claws because of his "betrayal"…" Omega let out next.

"SHUT UP! We "Darkloids" are the rightful inhabitants of the Cyber World: the only REAL data living beings!" Shade Man snapped.

"Huff… If only you hadn't sought war… Too bad Regal found out about you guys first and he triggered your ambitions to then use you guys… You'd never been able to come out into the real world otherwise… But I'm talking too much and that isn't my style."

"What style and whatever! DIE~! CRUSH NOISE~!"

"Boss. Come up with some kind of grave or tomb or whatever in which this guy can be sealed after I take out all of his HP but 1 and lock down all of his processes… Something which Bubble Man can't destroy… I'm sure you've got some ideas by now." Omega called out through the radio as he dodged the attack.

"Sure. Leave it to me: I only need about three to four minutes… It'd be good if you could lure him there so that I can prepare that thing on the spot… Bubble Man can go adore the prison all he wants but you'd need a very high-power Navi to break it up… And since Cache and the "Darkloids" are gone… The Evil Duo doesn't wanna come close to this guy and this guy must be an eyesore for "Nebula Grey" too…" Vadous whispered back through the radio.

"Hey. You. Follow me." Omega dully taunted.

He warped and Shade Man snarled as he followed him into a vast stone room made of stone arches and having a central column: some patterns were drawn on the tiled floor but the "ceiling" was very high and hidden and so was whatever was beyond the walls.

"Huh? This is our castle! The basement! You damned human's puppet: you dare to see your dirty feet into our castle!"

"It ain't the first time… And this castle was provided by Regal to begin with so I wouldn't say it's yours, anyway." Omega shrugged.

"You lowlife… What are you up to? What was that earlier gossiping with that damned human? Huh?" Shade Man grumbled.

"Nothing. We were discussing what'd be the best medicine to cool you down for a while. And Boss went to fetch some." Omega looked totally uninterested or like he didn't care.

"CRUSH NOISE~!"

"I know that attack by now. Whatever you use is pointless."

"Shaddup! Shadupp! SHADDUP! HRA~H!"

"Hum. A new trick, huh. But it won't save you."

Shade Man formed some lasers on his eyes and used them to try to attack Omega but he bounced them off with the saber and they hit the right shoulder and left knee: Shade Man growled while Omega quickly glanced at a grave-like cavity which formed opposite the room: Omega ran towards there and Shade Man followed.

"Alright. No more games. Time to seal you up…"

"What? Don't prattle!"

"I don't prattle. Hrah!"

"Mugro~h!"

Omega gripped his chest emblem and began to do something so that energy would flow out: he also plunged his saber there and apparently inserted some program into Shade Man's body which made it slowly become stone: he ended up petrified.

"Phew." Vadous sighed in relief.

"It ain't over yet."

Omega simply grabbed Shade Man from behind and tossed him inside of the opening: a slab covered it and its edges were filled with greenish energy which began to flow in through some "circuitry" drawn on the walls and floor: Omega flocked his hair a bit as if to indicate it hadn't been that much of a deal.

"This thing will suck Cyber World energy so it'll never run out of it and even if they broke it up then the password to unlock Shade Man's body would require a super-computer to be decoded. I highly doubt Bubble Man having access to one ever and knowing what it is. Let's leave him to come up with fake Chips and whatever the ever. He's the lesser of two evils, anyway." Vadous told Omega.

"Good. I'll be going back to bring the news."

"Have a nap in your casket, Dracula, and come out in 100 years' time!"

12:09 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Hello there."

"Ah! Omega! How did it go like? What happened with Shade Man in the end? You deleted the guy?"

"Well… I don't fight to delete others, so… Boss and I locked him up on a tomb set in the castle's basement and which Bubble Man will NEVER be able to break. And even if he did he'd still need a supercomputer to decipher the program keeping Shade Man paralyzed given how I sucked off the whole of his HP save 1."

"Whoa."

"Cool."

Omega came to the twins' PC to report about what had happened and he looked calm and unimpressed like nothing had happened.

"By the way, Sigma sent us the video with Higure – san's comments in the background… It was funny." Netto grinned.

"Sure was." Saito added.

"Guess so. I was never one for humor."

"By the way, Sigma sometimes talked about someone named "Dragon Hell", but who exactly are they?" Netto brought up.

"Huh? Oh. Dragon Hell. The onboard nightmare…"

"The onboard nightmare~…?" They both wondered aloud.

"The chef..."

"What. He's vegetarian?" Netto tried to guess.

"Or is he eccentric?" Saito guessed next.

"More like the second… It's a guy from somewhere in Choina but who speaks good Japanese because he studied with a good Japanese chef but then began to read up Confucius and then…"

"He got odd?"

"Not "odd"… Impossible."

"What, he thinks he lives in the Nirvana?" Saito rolled his eyes.

"Yeah. More or less. He calls that "Master Confucius' World" and such he barely realizes what he does and comes up with weird recipes and KILOMETRIC greetings. He seems to have some weird patience because even though everyone gets annoyed with him he never even once loses his composure." Omega described with a sight.

"And what did he invent?"

"Huff. A lot. But the only things he seems to do right are these: spring noodles, some _sushi_ types, curry rice and cookies… He tried to invent "cold dogs" a few days ago and everyone rushed to the microwave heater in the kitchen to heat them up: they were the sausages without having been grilled and served as directly taken out of the freezer… It's at times like these when I'm glad to be an android and that I don't need to eat to begin with…" Omega folded his arms.

"No wonder. Cold dogs! Cold sausages! That's not original: that's being lazy, I'd rather say."

"Sure. Only Boss' bad moods grumbles over the interphone seem to be able to snap the guy outta those moods…"

"Mwah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah… Dragon will invent the Spicy Dragon Curry with Ketchup Sides, see~…" Sigma joked close by.

"Oh yeah? Wanna bet?" Omega challenged.

"Huh! Commander Omega, sir! I thought you were battling Shade Man, sir, and that they were just the two of them… I apologize if it sounded rude, Commander Omega!"

"So? What did Dragon come up with today for breakfast?"

"Huh… Raw bread slices with cold butter…"

"_Raw bread slices with cold butter_?"

"Yeah. And the bread was from 2 days ago. Kir Osh, Kuro Kaze, Daratsu and Dr. Lartes had to make a queue each to use the electrical toaster so as to make the bread more eatable and then peel off the cold butter which was almost frozen because Dragon had forgotten to put the lid to the container… They ended up using olive oil instead." Sigma described in a grim tone of voice.

"Man." Both muttered.

"Guess they'll soon be going to Maha Ichiban's instead. And thus leave Dragon to test them out on his own throat."

"No wonder."

"Speaking of Maha Ichiban's, Blood went to check out a call by Count Elec protesting about something and he's yet to report…"

"Sigma! I need a hand over here~!" Blood Shadow's channel opened and fighting sounds rang out.

"What the… The "WWW" guys tried to use "Dark Chips" to play and all of their Navis have gone berserk or what?" Sigma asked.

"No! The freaks! They're here! They've knocked out the whole quartet and they've been improved! The same sound wave doesn't work anymore and I don't have time to toy with the spectrum! Come help me and have Commander Omega analyze the data~!" He yelled.

"You heard him, Sigma! On the double!"

"Roger, sir!"

Sigma left while Omega brought up a graph of sounds waves: he began to draw some and he sent photos in emails to the other two to seemingly try them out in the meanwhile.

"This is the 9th one! Any luck?"

"Well… No, Commander Omega, sir! They only break down into puddles, sir!" Blood Shadow reported.

"Damn these guys! Demon Fire!"

"Mwah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah!"

"You again. Why do you always have to involve civilians into your vengeance against us?" Omega growled.

"Hmpf! They make up a neat drama!"

"Oh come on. Show your hide and I'll carve you a grave next to Shade Man so you can fight each other to death in the Vampire World. We know you'll show your totally repulsive Orc face one day." Omega sarcastically taunted.

"Repulsive Orc face? Well. Why not?" He taunted back.

"Damn. There's no annoying this guy."

"You damned fool! I was properly taught by Ice Queen – sama how to hold my ground against foolish pawns like you bastards!"

"Yeah. We all say "you bastard" but I guess most Navis or "Darkloids" dunno what it means and they only say it because they've at least assimilated it's an insult to describe someone inferior to you. Now go to the Oxford English Dictionary and add that."

"Mwah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah! My power is grand and infinite~! It exists to fulfill the desires of Ice Queen - sama, you damned pack of foolish humans' puppets!" "Nebula Grey" proclaimed next.

"Sure, sure. Shoo, shoo. 11th attempt."

"It works, Commander Omega!" Blood Shadow sighed in relief.

"Mwah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah! Sigma's going for another vengeance: a _re-vengeance_~! Eat this up! Hrah!"

"Hmpf… So you figured it out in time to save your hides but that only adds more tension, sweat and tears of anger and despair to this cocktail which only those with a privileged mind can comprehend…"

"If you're such a "privileged mind"… Why don't you go to Harvard and work to deserve some diploma there, you ugly Goblin wannabe? Shoo, shoo! We don't want crazy buffaloes around!"

"Huh? Mwah, hah, hah! Soon this world will know the taste of terror and fear! And when those spoiled kids are removed from the way then you lowlifes will be next! I've reserved a special treatment: I'll bide my time before moving… And so… Slowly… and carefully… Angst will build up into your consciousness along with cocky mood, over-confidence and total laziness… And by the time I strike… You won't be able to stop me! No – one will! Not even a GOD!" He proclaimed.

"Tell that to the Valkar."

"Hah! The highest-ranked Gods in Middle-Earth… Melkor, Master of Sauron, was one of them, one of the world's creators… When Melkor got removed from the picture then Sauron rose… It looks similar: I was sitting idle and gathering data but when you lowlifes dared to attack Ice Queen – sama you triggered my vengeance~!"

"Go to Coruscant and make Anayama become the Empress of the Galatic Empire to replace the decadent Sidious and you'll replace Vader as her "Dark Side" apprentice." He challenged.

"Hah! That sounds worth my time… Hah, hah, hah… I'll concede you a small truce but soon… Soon…"

The "face" suddenly showed up and formed the creepy grin before fading altogether: Omega grumbled while Blood Shadow and Sigma returned having several cut marks and blows.

"Grah! I'm fed up with that guy. Let's set an ambush on the Net Police HQ and get the guy! But firstly we need to come up with some system to disable the materialization capability of the freaks and any "Dimensional Converters" too… I'll go report! Sigma! Come with me. Blood: keep the vigilance over here! I need a good relaxation afternoon!"

Both Navis warped out while Blood Shadow, Netto and Saito sighed in defeat: they all looked like they were being driven to exasperation by the culprit and was making them feel headaches too.

"Man. Doesn't this EVER END?" Netto groaned.

_Until we beat the Evil Duo and that guy then… There won't be an end!_


	33. Chapter 33: Entering the mind

**Chapter 33: Entering the mind**

09:39 AM (Japan Time), Sunday July the 22nd…

"… Hey… Netto – kun. Your PET is ringing."

"Okay…"

Netto had been reading a _manga_ on his house while Saito had been working with the laptop: Netto's Advanced PET II had begun to ring, so he picked the call up and Meijin showed up onscreen.

"Meijin – san!" He greeted.

"_San wa iranai_, Netto – kun!" He complained.

"What's up?" Netto asked.

"An old second-rate hotel which was scheduled to be demolished to be converted into a new set of apartment blocks has been covered by a "Dimensional Area"!" Meijin reported.

"Well! "Nebula" is gone, so… It's the Evil Duo!" Netto realized.

"Indeed! I need you and Rock Man to check it out."

"… Couldn't Enzan or Laika go instead?"

"Well… Enzan – kun is in Ameroupe because of an IPC conference and Laika – kun returned to Sharo yesterday, so you're our only choice, Netto – kun. The Three Musketeers seem to have found the trail of "Nebula Grey" overseas and they've gone try to hunt them down…" Meijin reported.

"Che! The timing is too perfect!" Netto complained.

"Well! Weren't we waiting for a chance to go and deal with them? Let's use this opportunity!" Saito rallied.

"… Okay. We're going there, Meijin – san."

"That's fine. Report to me once you find out the root of this incident and do BE careful..." Meijin nodded in agreement.

Saito merely headed over to his _futon_ and lay face-up on it while Netto handed him the Advanced PET II: he transferred his Navi frame into the Advanced PET II while his body entered sleep state.

"… This ends today." Netto muttered.

"Yeah. It's our final battle. But out of duty."

"Sure. Duty is first."

He climbed downstairs and put his sneakers.

"Huh? A note from Mama… She's gone off to the supermarket. Well, I'll leave a note… "I'm off to a "Net Savior" mission: hope to be back by lunch time, if not I'll call. Netto"… There."

"Good. Let's move out."

Netto put on the skates and departed the house: he spotted Agent Karasu standing nearby.

"Meijin – san called me: I gotta deal with the Evil Duo. If Mr. Sponsor asks about where I went off to then tell him this if you may." He quickly summarized.

"That will be no problem, Mr. Netto." Agent Karasu nodded in understanding.

"Thank you. I'll go skating. It's a mess to get there in car with all of the re-pavement work going on." Netto announced.

"I understand. We will ask a car to be nearby just in case." Agent Karasu announced.

"Thank you. Good-bye."

"Good-bye."

Netto skated towards the Metro Line station and bought a ticket before rushing into the train and heading to the north: he checked his Battle Chips and both he and Saito nodded in agreement.

_We'll try to weaken them so that they can be captured and judged…_

09:51 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Huff, huff…"

Netto used a side alley as a shortcut and reached the hotel building which was still covered by the "Dimensional Area": he looked around and spotted an uphill street close by.

"We can use it to gain the speed. As always… Take care of calculating the necessary speed and the timing, niisan." Netto told him.

"Okay. I'll warn you."

Netto quickly climbed up the street and aimed for the "Dimensional Area" as he began to pick up speed.

"Speed is good! Jump!" Saito instructed.

Netto immediately detached from the ground and headed over towards the "Dimensional Area" dome.

"Now!"

"Synchro Chip, Slot In! CROSS FUSION!"

Netto hit the "Dimensional Area" just as the "Cross Fusion" was triggered and managed to pass through its body: he landed with his arms shielding his body and in a crouched position before he opened his eyes and checked his surroundings: one side door was open right in front of him.

"The "Cross Fusion" was successful." Saito reported.

"The real show starts now." "CF" Netto muttered.

He ran inside, having drawn the Rock Buster and checked: most of the rooms were missing their doors and were totally empty of furniture.

"As expected."

"They're laying out the red carpet!"

He climbed into the third floor and spotted two closed room doors towards the end of the corridor which were placed left and right.

"Forte! Shirakami! We know it's you two: show your pesky faces! You don't scare us anymore!" "CF" Netto challenged.

They both came out immediately from the left and the right and stood there with smug smiles on their faces.

"I'm not gonna fall for it: you're not gonna use us as a power source for your behemoth!" He declared.

"Oh? You knew?" Forte asked with a hint of amusement.

"Omega found that out."

"Really…" Shirakami replied with a tone of intrigue to his voice.

"Enough acting! You want a fight? I'll give you one!" "CF" Netto challenged.

"So sorry to disappoint you two… But you fell for it…" Forte amusedly announced.

Forte snapped his fingers, and vines (similar to those Plant Man could create) appeared out of the ground so "CF" Netto jumped two steps back to avoid.

"Hah! Slow!"

"I wonder 'bout that…"

He was suddenly caught in an embrace by Shirakami, who'd used an Area Steal to warp there.

"Where you going somewhere, Netto – kun? We're in the midst of a battle, aren't we~? Heh, heh, heh, heh!" He asked in his soft and accented voice.

"I'm gonna kick you face!" "CF" Netto replied.

He punched with his elbows and managed to shake free, only to have his feet immobilized by the vines, which had popped out on his feet: he lost balance and fell to the ground, hard.

"Ouch!"

Forte walked over to him and grabbed his arms from behind and Netto tried to use the elbow trick again but to no avail: purple data streams shot out of Forte's hands and they coiled around his forearms, elbows and shoulders forming bonds: he was out of commission.

"THAT'S CHEATING, YOU TWO!" He yelled.

Shirakami picked him up, put him over his right shoulder and they headed for a "Dimensional Converter" in one room.

"Let's go!"

"Heh, heh, heh."

They were warped by the machine and then the three of them materialized inside of the central shaft of the "Dimensional Area Facility": the central tower had been ripped out of the ground and was left leaning on the right wall while the gigantic death mobile was parked there: its chest was open and there was a compartment where the core would normally be.

_Damn! I can't believe we got caught so easily!_ "CF" Netto inwardly cursed as he struggled to break the bonds.

_On the other side, this is a bliss compared to what they could really do to us. Remember that "endurance" thing!_

_Shit. You needn't remind me._

_And I'm sure the three Musketeers will wrap up their business and come give us a hand, anyway… So let's bear with it: today is these guys' last stand anyway… _

Shirakami jumped inside of it and placed "CF" Netto against the wall: some steel restraints jammed him into place, making pressure on his shoulders and legs: he could barely move his head.

"Heh, heh, heh. Go dream on in the meanwhile."

"Whatever." Netto was unimpressed.

"Go to Nowhere At All." Saito taunted.

"Sure, sure. See ya~…"

He jumped out and sealed the chest plate, leaving him inside the obscurity: some wires came out of nowhere started to glue on different parts of his body.

"Huh! They don't look like they'll be easy to rip."

"Don't mind 'em."

A purple – like substance started covering his body: he could feel his power being slowly being drained away.

"Damn it. This is making me feel weak." Netto cursed.

"Meh. Compared to all those blows I got…" Saito shrugged.

The purple gave way to a grey-like scales thing, almost like he was being petrified: he could sense circuitry and programs starting to boot up close by given the hums and beeps ringing out.

"Welcome onboard!" Forte teased through a speaker.

"Ya needn't worry: ya won't even feel how this babe moves… Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… Instead we'll treat you to the view outside: you'll find it amusing to see through this babe's cockpit…"

"Whatever the ever!" Netto shot back.

"You're cheap."

"Heh, heh, heh. Moody, aren't cha~?"

"Sure they are, Forte... Let's start to rock this up. The three guys will soon be done with their business anyway~…"

"Those rhymes are silly." Netto grumbled.

"Sure they are."

"Alright! Two minutes and we'll be able to warp. Heh, heh."

"Sure, Forte… Let's go spread some terror and chaos in the city~…! Today we get to shine and sparkle~… Heh, heh, heh!"

10:10 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Something is going on… The tracer signal is appearing and disappearing in an intermittent way… And it's not 'cause it's underground… That hotel building has no basement…"

Vadous was frowning at the map screen, where the dot periodically appeared and disappeared: looking at it again, he spotted that the transmitter wasn't in the hotel but in an island somewhere.

"Don't tell me it's where I think it is." He grimly muttered while sounding annoyed.

He typed into the keyboard and brought up a satellite image of the island: it was indeed the "Dimensional Area Facility" and the death mobile V2 was clearly visible in there.

"Damn."

He pressed a button and engaged the PA system of the HQ.

"MEN! Meet me at the command bridge's elevator ASAP!" He commanded.

He picked the helmet, put it on (along with the facial protection and the mouth guard) and ran off the command bridge.

"Quick!"

He used an elevator platform which descended along an inclined shaft and ended up in an unfurnished room: all of his men had rushed there in a _stampede_.

"The other three are on their way here: that trail ended up being but a blind alley where the villain lured us at to laugh at."

"I knew it was too sweet to be true." Lartes sighed.

"Whatever. Let's just tackle them and smash them." Kir Osh shrugged.

"I wonder if Big Bro's looking… Heh, heh." Daratsu muttered.

"Dunno. Don't ask me. But let's go, anyway."

10:23 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Heh, heh, heh. Warp: successful."

"The replacement equipment worked."

"COME AT FULL POWER!"

"You have no chances of winning!"

"Don't get cocky, you two."

Forte and Shirakami smiled at Omega's order to his two subordinates when standing in the midst of the death mobile's path: Shirakami then activated the speakers.

"Yeah. Especially when those two charming boys are the power core of this little toy…" He trailed off.

"… And if you try to blow us up, they get blown up." Forte concluded in an amused tone.

"Blackmailers and extortionists... In short: pieces of rubbish." Omega made a spat sound.

"Oh… Moody! Aren't 'cha~?" Shirakami teased.

"Why don't get the show in the road?" Forte suggested.

He pressed a button: the shoulders opened and shot an array of Stinger missiles but the three robots dodged them.

"Let's go, Blood!"

"Roger, sir!"

Omega and Blood shot all of them down as two compartments opened in the torso and laser beams started to scorch the ground and part of the hotel building.

"I'll tackle the cockpit!"

Sigma then jumped towards the cockpit, but was deflected by a force field and had to use his hovering engines to avoid falling into the ground.

"Damn." He hissed.

Nevertheless, he managed to land in the right wrist and he plunged his sword into the wrist, immobilizing it: he jumped back to the roof before the left hand could slap him.

"Not bad! But this is only an _aperitif_… Now is the main dish!" Forte announced.

And, indeed, two booster packs activated on the monster's back and it jumped forward while leaving two deep footprints on the street: the sensors suddenly told them someone had jumped atop the booster packs and it was a meter and fifty tall.

"Crap." Both muttered.

"Charged shotgun shot!"

There was an incredible explosion and the monster was propelled forward.

"Whoa~h!"

When it managed to stop, it had a nice hole in the back where the booster pack had been.

"Damn! It seems they're getting serious! That "K. S." guy wasn't kidding when he said he didn't think we'd survive 6 hours!" Shirakami hissed.

"This is going to be hard…" Forte added.

The three robots were preparing for another assault when three "Darkloids" materialized inside of the worldwide Dimensional Area: Burner Man, Video Man and Plant Man.

"What! Cannon fodder?"

Before they could react, though, the three "Darkloids" used "Dark Chips" to power themselves up.

"I'm gonna burn them all!" Burner Man roared.

"I'm gonna strangle them all!" Video Man claimed.

"I shall drain their life away!" Plant Man laughed.

"Sigma: go for the video idiot. Blood: pick the burner idiot. I'll go for the plant idiot." Omega quickly ordered.

The robot kept moving forward without meeting any opposition.

"Heh, heh, heh… I told ya my idea would work." Forte chuckled and sounded amused.

"It sure did."

Suddenly, though, three tornadoes popped out of nowhere along with streams of fire and electricity: the robot started to smoke and most of its armor had been torn apart, revealing the circuitry.

"Who the…!" The two pilots yelled.

Three figures dressed in similar armors stood in front of them and they knew who they were.

"Crap! It's that Vadous dude and his disciples: the _Star Wars_ rip-offs! And they have real powers!" Shirakami cursed.

"This isn't good…" Forte muttered.

Two swords hit the right shoulder making sparks come out of the exposed circuitry: the diagnosis screen announced that the arm was now useless since the control interface was not working.

"What do we do, Forte?"

"Don't panic! We still have our ace-in-the-hole."

The sensors then warned of deep cuts being made to the chest armor, the thickest of all them: most of its layers had been peeled off due to the attacks, and only two or three layers remained: the swords were cutting them apart, like if they were opening a can with an opener, leaving them baffled.

"I dunno what exactly those guys are, but, at this rate, we're not gonna survive even three minutes. We must do something NOW."

"You win. Let's go for the last resource." Forte sighed in defeat and rolled his eyes.

They jumped off the seats and opened a hatch on the ground to drop down a cylindrical shaft with steel rung ladders built on its walls.

"… Hrah! Hah! Huh!"

Vadous finished cutting apart the last layer and managed to reach the core: there was "CF" Netto, covered in a grey-like substance: lots of wires were attached to his armor, and most of them in the chest emblem, where his "Ultimate Program" resided: his eyes were closed and he looked in pain.

"Don't worry, you two. I'm getting you out of this Gojira wannabe." He muttered.

He then took out his two swords and started to cut the wires: he could see circuits powering down or re-routing energy to try and compensate for the loss.

"As expected… I'll soon be done."

He suddenly had to dodge a buster shot that blew a circuit: Shirakami and Forte had come there.

"So cha are Vadous… Cha cousin did tell us ya were an unleashed locomotive when pissed off and he wasn't kidding." Shirakami tried to sound confident but couldn't avoid looking nervous.

"Yeah… We're gonna check out what stuff cha are made of, _Danna_… Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…" Forte chuckled.

"Cousin? Wait! One of the "Admin" guys…?"

"Yeah. Number 3. He says he wants to be in your side but he'd rather collect more info on Number 2 before making a move to approach ya: he says he provided some of the data which helped ya shut down that woman's bank accounts…"

"So it was him… Good. So? What can you do?"

"This, _Danna_. Sorry, Shirakami. This will hurt."

"Whatever."

Forte suddenly cluthed Shirakami's chest emblems and burst of purple light emerged from it: Shirakami roared as his body began to break down into a purplish mass of energy and surrounded Forte: the guy gasped and looked at his hands.

"What… power! You… can't control… the "Ultimate Program"…!" His and Shirakami's voices seemed to have mixed as well.

"Uh-oh." Vadous muttered.

"GRUA~H!"

Some cracks began to form on Forte's skin and body and bursts of purple light emerged before giving way to a full spheroid: the energy release jumped into some of the circuits and blew them up: Vadous had to shield his eyes.

"What's going to happen?"

The spheroid dissolved to reveal that Forte had managed to achieve some kind of fusion with Shirakami.

This fusion's helmet design was also highly similar to Forte's including a small purplish diamond in the center of the forehead.

The fusion had also gained two shoulder armor pieces and a deteriorated brownish scarf coiled around his neck which ended in a broken shard at the end: Shirakmi's boots got replaced by Forte's design as well as his forearms.

"Hum… I don't want to battle here, so… Door to the Beyond, Open: we go to the "Dimensional Arena"!"

The purplish Time-Space gate opened and began to suck all air inside: the fusion was sucked in.

"Lartes! Kir Osh! The rest is up to you~! Hroa~h! Let's go: time for a leveled – up showdown! Door to the Beyond: Close!"

11:37 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Alright. Let's finish Boss' job."

"Yeah. Let's wrap up."

Lartes and Kir Osh got inside of the core and headed for "CF" Netto but collided with some invisible purplish energy barrier.

"Mwah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah!"

"Oh shit."

"Not that freak again…!"

A "Dark Chip" materialized in front of the unconscious "CF" Netto and a giant purplish figure with red eyes appeared behind him: both gasped as the "face" formed there too.

"Outta the way! I'll have these two as lab mice and show them how powerful the "Dark Side" is! Mwah, hah, hah!"

"Damn! "Nebula Grey"!"

The "Dark Chip" engaged and "CF" Netto suddenly opened his eyes: he began to yell in pain.

"GWA~H!" He yelled in agony.

The two of them quickly broke the restraints and the rest of wires, but the "Dark Chip" flew and impaled the chest emblem, and embedded itself inside the programming.

"Become my puppet!"

"Grah! Who is gonna… become that!" Netto shot back.

"You can't… win!" Saito hissed.

"Damn it! Hang in there!"

"Let's cut the wires!"

"Useless! Truly useless! Mwah, hah, hah!"

"CF" Netto's color scheme began to change from blue and yellow to purple and yellow: his eyes' irises were beginning to become red as well and he yelled in pain while the voice laughed.

"Pure Light!"

Four beams of golden light shot out from the hands of the two warriors: the "Dark Aura" flickered, and some parts of the body reversed to blue but it looked like it wasn't stable.

"Mwah, hah, hah! Struggle in vain!"

"Shut up…! Huh! The power gauge for this program is almost depleted by now…! Alright! Kir Osh! Do you have any better ideas on how to tackle this?" Lartes questioned.

"We could try to abort the "Cross Fusion"…"

"I don't think so! If we did that… Then Saito would be in danger. We don't want something worse than Shirakami to be created using his body, do we?"

"And what if we use the Seal of Infinity and freeze him? This way we can scan him and try to extract the "Dark Chip". You know how little energy this technique uses, and if I run out, you can back me up." Kir Osh suggested another option.

"Good idea, Kir Osh! Seal of Infinity!"

"What!"

There was a flash, and "CF" Netto stood still, the colors mixed: blue, purple and yellow at random: his body was absolutely frozen, and an infinity symbol floated around him while forming a dull light.

"PHEW!"

They then felt a jolt as the monster stopped, out of energy.

"Alright, guys! Back to the HQ!"

"Roger! The cannon fodder is disposed of anyway!"

11:55 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Huff. This isn't your everyday "Dark Chip", damn it… And it'd seem the freak has poured part of the "Wily Program" there too…"

"Shit. The "Vaccine Chip" doesn't seem to take effect either."

Kir Osh and Lartes grumbling over some read-outs provided by a holographic screen floating in front of a horizontal metallic cylinder-shaped-capsule placed on the ground of one room in the "Subspace" HQ: the room was metallic and the light came from light bulbs set on the ceiling.

"At least the "Seal" is holding on…"

"Yeah. Not even that rascal's "bunshin" consciousness can do anything about it…"

Both sighed as they looked at how "CF" Netto was lying inside of it having many wires connected to his helmet's forehead: the room contained a "Dimensional Area" to ensure the "Cross Fusion" was kept intact.

"Alright. Guys. We need you to come into the chip implant's Cyber World: the rascal is trying to mess up with their heads by bringing up the memories of the "Crisis"…" Lartes grumbled.

"Shit. And we gotta bust the rascal from inside, then?"

"Yeah. "Nebula Grey" will surely be material this time around so you can blow it up along with the "bunshin" consciousness… We'll prove to that rascal just how serious we are… And it'd seem there's some kind of ability to their bodies which is yet to be awakened… I'll try to power it up and it could help turning the tide around…"

"OK! Let's go, you two!"

"Use this computer." Lartes ordered.

They all placed their left hands on the console and an IR port opened, transferring their programming into the mainframe.

"Good! Over there!"

Once inside of the mainframe, their consciousnesses were uploaded into their Navi frames which were stored inside of tall vertical cylinder-shaped capsules: they exited them and found a gateway of sorts which they crossed.

"This is it?"

They suddenly realized they'd ended up in a recreation of the twins' bedroom: both were laying face-down on the ground and looked unconscious while the whole environment was filled with a trail of destruction and blood stains.

"Don't mind that silly decoration. Oi! Hikari! Rock Man! Wake up: you're still alive! Don't let the fucker's illusions beat you!"

"Ugh! Damn it! I thought I'd died!" Netto quickly "woke up" and got to his fours.

"Shit. Wait… Where are we? This is the "consciousness world"…? Ah! The chip implant! This is an environment created by that…"

"Sure is. The freak gotta be close by… Hmmm? The balcony door is badly closed… So they went out through there…" Omega spotted.

"I can feel a huge power there… It's gotta be the monster." Blood Shadow whispered.

"Shit. It's got some "pressure" too…!"

"Look: Dr. Lartes says you have some kind of ability which you haven't awakened yet. We'll stall for time fighting the thing while you guys bring it out: its power should be able to destroy the "bunshin" consciousness the freak has sneaked inside of the chip…" Omega instructed.

"Roger!"

"Your bodies are programs: they should be able to recreate the "Cross Fusion" form as well… Your real body shouldn't feel anything: the implant has locked down all exits into the real world save the one we used to come in… The freak can't hope to overcome all safety on this thing and try to rewrite your minds… Let's go!"

Omega pulled the balcony door open and ran "in" only to "fall" from an opening in the middle of the air into the "ground" ten meters below: the others followed suit.

"What's this place?"

This room was gigantic: the walls, floor and ceiling looked "organic" somehow and the most prominent object was a half-dome set to aim downwards and which had a wide circular hole on its body: a gray rock pedestal had been built directly underneath its opening.

"… Hum… "Spectrum"..." Omega announced.

"The "Spectrum Project", you mean to say?" Netto caught up.

"Yeah. Boss ran some simulations of what could happen if the freak tried using it instead… And this is how it would look like when engaged and running at full power while being close to achieving 100% de-materialization of the world. That dome is the core program which had been redesigned and inside of it power is gathered to make the freak grow stronger…." Omega explained.

"Ah! Look over there!" Blood Shadow suddenly gasped.

They looked at the pedestal and spotted "the Dark Chip", which was shining with its ominous faint purple light and emitting its ominous sound while was hovering above the ground, too.

"Mwah, hah, hah! So you've come here… But it's too late to stop me: go, my servant! Smash those like you did with that little interloper! Mwah, hah, hah! Feel complete pain and agony before you DIE~! Mwah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah!"

"MUGRO~H!"

The twins managed to achieve "Cross Fusion" and "CF" Netto then closed his eyes while energy began to build up around his "Cross Fusion2 body.

"Charged shotgun shot!"

"Demon Rings!"

"Spreading Plasma!"

Blood Shadow jumped towards the "monster" and shot a blast from his double-barreled shotgun at the right hand, damaging that limb.

"Hah! Don't get cock, you BRATS!"

Sigma summoned several rings from his left hand and they attached into the monster's body: they frizzled and caused for explosions to spread across its body.

"Huh! DIE!"

Omega shot a sphere of pure plasma at the monster's chest and provoked a large burning hole to open thus enraging the monster.

"EAT THESE~!"

The monster began to shot out needles at the three warriors, who easily dodged the blind attack: the freak also shot out burning flames around the air and tried to hit them with the hands.

"DIE, DIE AND DIE~!"

A cyan flash filled the room all of sudden: "CF" Netto was shinning in a cyan color while his eyes were a mix of brown and emerald.

"Full Synchro… Saito Style!" He announced.

"Bravo! Use Charge Shots!"

"I-impossible!"

"Saito Style Charge Shot… NOW!"

The cyan energy blast flew towards the monster's right hand, destroying that: the villain roared in fury but the three Navis were keeping them distracted so that it wouldn't attack "CF" Netto.

"OUTTA THE WAY~! DAMN YOU~!"

"Aim for the head!" Omega instructed.

"Saito Style Charge Shot… NOW!"

The blast absolutely pulverized the head, the monster dissolved in a water-like substance: the "face" lingered there and it depicted rage and anger.

"UWRA~H!"

The "face" flew towards "CF" Netto but he calmly loaded up another attack and shot a new blast at the "face": it merged with it and surrounded it with a blue mass of energy as it began to shrink and roar as it was destroyed.

"MUGRA~H!"

The "face" got deleted so the environment began to "crack" and "crumbled" to give way to the bedroom, which now looked like it'd always looked like.

"That should teach the freak how serious we are." Omega fumed.

"Sure."

"Mwah, hah, hah. Ya lose~, ya bully~…" Sigma chuckled.

"Heh, heh! This power is cool!" Netto chuckled.

"Don't get cocky…" Saito sighed.

"Good. This environment is going to shut down and your consciousness uploaded into your respective bodies. Bye!"

The three of them ran out through the door, which closed: the "room" faded and there was a bright white flash before Netto opened his physical eyes and realized he was inside of the capsule still on his "Cross Fusion" form: Lartes looked at him through the view-slot and then opened it up so he slowly sat up there while looking around.

"Cool. This is the same capsule niisan's body was stored at when you showed it to us… Well! I'd rather say the Evil Duo will soon be captured and then only that freak will be left!" He grinned.

"Mwah, hah, hah. And then there'll be Higure Yamitarou's display of intelligence and wisdom! It'll be fun! Mwah, hah, hah…!"


	34. Chapter 34: Last stand

**Chapter 34: Last stand**

12:19 PM (Japan Time), Sunday July the 22nd…

"… Hell's Rolling!"

"Vicious Fire!"

The two attacks clashed and exploded: a cloud of smoke originated from the clash, and cracks could be seen in the ground.

"Huff, huff…"

"Huff, huff… Man…! This fusion is hard to keep stable…!"

"Yeah… Any distraction and it'll shatter…"

Both opponents were panting heavily. Vadous' armor had cracks and missing pieces, and so did the "fusion" body's armor.

"But this place sure is weird…"

"Ya needn't tell me…"

The arena looked like a normal _sumou_ arena (except for the markings on the middle of it) but the surroundings were somewhat eerie: they were surrounded by emptiness expect for the purple glow of "walls" which expanded sans boundaries in any direction, like the feeling of being stranded in the middle of nowhere: it was not unlike being trapped in a blizzard or a sandstorm.

"Alright! Where's "K. S." at?" Vadous questioned.

"Duuno. He approached us via the land phone."

"Yeah… He made us realize something important which ya should realize too… What we've done ever since March… That wasn't our real will and they weren't our real thoughts… "Nebula Grey"… The freak tried to turn us into the freaks' heirs were the freak to be locked up or captured so the freak could laugh at you guys saying "I've got an heir"…!"

"By all the… I can totally picture that…! Then…!"

"Then your annoyance towards us is also part of that freak's setup: to make you guys gather hatred and grudge…"

"But that means that… This battle is pointless!"

"Well. Save to prove our strength…"

"Setting that asides… We all got manipulated by the freak! Damn the freak: I'm itching to lock them in the brig!"

"Sure… That guy's up to cha, _Danna_… But let us at least try out what level of power we have… And then we'll go into a trip somewhere to vanish from you guys' lives for a while…" Forte replied.

"But… You'll at least concede us a chance to start anew?" Shirakami requested of him.

"Yeah… You're still young: you can still start anew… Now I must focus my energies on locating the freak…"

"Heh… That's the spirit… This "fusion" is almost as its limit so I'll risk it one shot, _Danna_… Darkness… OVERLOAD!"

"Huh! Well! Come to this spot… Then I'll draw out my ultimate technique too! CHAOS… BEAM!"

The "fusion" body shot what seemed to be a powered-up "Darkness Overload" while Vadous shot that black beam: both attacks collided on the middle and began to push against each other but Vadous' attack engulfed the other and impacted upon the opponents: a bright flash followed by sudden energy shockwaves and weird rainbow-colored and shifting ripples of lights like an aurora ensued.

"UGRA~H!"

"UA~H!"

"W-what? No! No!"

Vadous tried to rush forward but a sudden white "crack" formed in the middle of the space and engulfed the figure of the "fusion" body before it closed and its shockwave pushed Vadous away into the "walls"…

12:33 PM (Japan Time)…

"… So… Where's Vadous – san fighting those two?"

"A small pocket dimension of Time – Space which he calls the "Dimensional Arena"… It has some weird properties and seems to allow for data materialization at some degree… Maybe it's the result of some civilization toying with the Time-Space…"

"Wow."

"Say, Lartes… Do we know anyone named "K. S."? He sent me a curious mail a few minutes ago and the more I think about what they the more sense it does…"

"Huh? What did you say? "K. S."? No, I dunno. And what does that mail say, anyway, Kir Osh?"

"That's… Well…"

Netto was sitting in a chair next to the machines in the room while Lartes (having taken out the helmet) talked with him: Saito listened from inside the Advanced PET II while Kir Osh (also having taken out his helmet) had been looking at his PET II and frowned: the three androids were looking at some battle footage against the "Darkloids" to seemingly remember their techniques.

"It says that those two weren't really "evil" to begin with and that "Number 2" is to blame for their behavior because they stuffed something into Forte back in January… And which then got passed down… In short: it'd seem the freak wanted to turn them into his "heirs" in case he got busted or caught…" Kir Osh read.

"What! Ah, the rascal! I wouldn't be surprised if that was true: I can picture the motherfucker freak laughing at us with that! I should've thought it twice but we all fell into the trap of getting annoyed at them and developing and harboring "grudge" against them…"

"By all the… So all of our fights were pointless?" Netto gasped.

"The jerk…!" Saito cursed.

"Whoa~h!"

"What?"

A sudden white flash formed and something flew across the room before crashing against the armored door and collapsing into the ground: the flash vanished as quickly as it had appeared and everyone rushed over there to see that it was Vadous.

"Boss! What happened?"

"Ugh… Shit… I'm not… sure! We tried to settle it on one last attack but my power ended up sucking theirs, hitting them, and when I tried to help them then… A weird "crack" formed and sucked them up before it released a shockwave of energy and my own energy load "broke" the "frontier" between that Time-Space and "normal" Time-Space to end up here for some reason or another… It turns out that…"

"Yeah. We got a mail. This "K. S." guy gotta be Number 3."

"Sure… Ugh! Grah! Everything aches…! Well…! The guy seems to want to become our ally and such…! But he wants to wait for a while before showing up so… Agh! I need some… rest!"

Lartes and Kir Osh helped him stand and lean on him: Vadous panted and groaned while his balance seemed to be far from good.

"O-Omega… Treat them to the VR simulator… I need to lie down… Lartes, Kir Osh… Analyze the data recorded by the armor and try to figure what in the world happened to them… OK?"

"Roger."

"W-whoa! The VR Simulator, he says!" Netto whistled.

"Gotta be cool…" Saito looked animated.

"Sure is." Omega teased with a smug grin.

"Heh, heh, heh. Enjoy." Blood Shadow invited.

"Mwah, hah, hah… Bust 'em all…" Sigma laughed.

Lartes and Kir Osh led Vadous away while Netto followed Omega out into the corridor.

"We'll pick a shortcut." Omega announced.

They headed over to an armored door with the label "CENTRAL HUB" set on its surface which automatically slid up: they found another door immediately in front of them, which also slid up: they then stepped into the next room and both Netto and Saito gasped.

"W-WHOA!"

The room they were inside of was easily over several tens of meters tall and huge: it was a gigantic cylinder-shaped room which had several catwalks and stairs crossing across it from different heights and directions plus large fans set on the walls: the ground was a mere metallic grid which seemingly allowed a large bulk below it to expel heat.

"Cool…"

Most of the room was unlit but the catwalks had fluorescent paint on the ground and handrails to mark them: the ceiling had two small metallic grids as well shaped like opposing halves of an hexagon.

"Whoa~h! This is so cool!" Netto exclaimed.

"This is the core of the HQ, then?" Saito asked Omega.

"Yeah. The three decks are interconnected via all of these catwalks and stairs. Follow me, you two. It's easy to get lost if you don't know the way, you see… It's designed to dizzy intruders too…"

They climbed to the second deck using one connecting staircase and exited to another curved corridor.

"This is the corridor."

Omega walked to a set of two steel doors marked with the label "VR ROOM #4": he held up his palm and a laser scanned it up: the doors then slid towards left and right.

"Let's see~…" Netto grinned.

The room was made of black squares with green lines: its size was decent, being about six meters in length and about four in height.

"Not bad…" Saito looked animated too.

Omega then signaled Netto to walk over to the middle of the room and an almost invisible "Dimensional Area" formed.

"Go ahead and use Cross Fusion." Omega instructed.

"Okay! Ready, niisan?" Netto asked.

"Yup! I'm ready." Saito confirmed.

"Synchro Chip, Slot In! CROSS FUSION!"

They both managed to perform "Cross Fusion" flawlessly and stood there while Omega used a holographic screen to input commands.

"These training programs are very different from what you're used to do in the Science Labs, Hikari. We're talking about virtual environments in which you have to complete certain tasks. It's almost like a RPG game if you want to think of this this way."

"Whoa."

"These VR programs are very special. I will boot a Level 1, A Class program." Omega announced.

"How far are you?" "CF" Netto suddenly asked.

"I've almost completed Level 4, C Class. Of course: that took many years. Boss' highest record is Level 5, B Class."

"Is there anything after Level 5, C Class?" "

"You have access to a customizer."

"Whoa! That means you can play by your set of rules! And no one has yet reached that level?" He was amazed.

"Nope. I suspect the Boss will do, one day. Get ready."

"O.K. Here we go!"

"CF" Netto experienced how his surroundings changed to a cybernetic-like environment and how he was propelled into the white "portal" while everything became white.

"Whoa~h!"

"We're flying!"

Once the light cleared, "CF" Netto realized that he was standing in the midst of a metropolis somewhere: tall skyscrapers loomed everywhere, and the sky was grey and it threatened to rain at any moment: a holographic screen popped out in front of him with some text written on its body.

LEVEL: 1

CLASS: A

SIMULATION: 1 OF 20

OBJECTIVES:

1 – FIND BEACON

2 – DISMANTLE BARRICADE

3 – DRIVE OUT VIRUSES

4 – DEFEAT LEADER

RANKS (TIME):

3 MIN OR LESS: S CLASS

4 MIN OR LESS: A CLASS

5 MIN OR LESS: B CLASS

7 MIN OR LESS: C CLASS

9 MIN OR LESS: D CLASS

12 MIN OR LESS: E CLASS

15 MIN OR HIGHER: F CLASS

SIMULATION REQUESTED BY: OMEGA

HAVE A NICE DAY!

The screen switched to display a map of the area: there was a blinking green light in one spot of its surface.

_This has gotta be the beacon._ Netto guessed.

_It has the looks of it._ Saito agreed on it.

His ear pad crackled with static and he heard Omega's voice.

"Don't worry 'bout the rank. Nobody does, it's just to make it look more realistic. Just have fun." Omega instructed.

"Roger!"

"Ah. There'll be Viruses too. And hostile Navis… The system is set so that the Viruses are deleted when their HP values reach the 0 mark but the Navis are retrieved instead…" Omega added.

"That's nice." Saito sounded relieved.

"Yeah. We don't fight to delete Navis either. Although you gotta admit that Search Man had several arguments back in February: a war won't give you mercy and neither won't the enemy. You must fight or be deleted: there's no room for negotiations. Learn that, Hikari and Rock Man. You'll need to grow conscious of that…" Omega warned.

"A-alright…" Netto gulped.

"Well… Guess I was the one acting silly back then…"

"No. That wasn't acting silly. It was your real self: you couldn't understand that this was a conflict, a war, a battle… You are still young and king: try to preserve those as you grow up… But learn that you gotta be attentive and responsive in battle too if you expect to survive… I talk too much and spoil the mood… Don't mind my ramblings… Beat the enemy."

"OK! Let's go, Saito – niisan!"

"Roger, Netto – kun!"

12:53 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Ugh… We're… alive?"

"Somehow… That was dire…!"

"Huh… The Cyber World…"

"Huh? Sure… Agh! My head feels dizzy almost as if I had motion sickness and it feels like all of my senses are overwhelmed…!"

"Mine too…"

"Huh… We seem to be in Japan anyway…"

"Let's get back to the home…"

"Huh? Wait… My internal clock suddenly warned me that it's wrong and it needs to be updated!"

"Weird. Mine too."

"Maybe it's a side-effect of battling in that weird Time-Space… Let's just update them, Forte…"

"Sure…"

Shirakami and Forte slowly woke up and stood up somewhere in the Cyber World: this spot looked rather poor in lighting and they could barely spot some ramps and squares built around them: they then brought their hands to their foreheads.

"Wha~t? Friday February the 17th, 2005? This thing kicked us back in time to the day of the "Mirror Dome" affair when Enzan finally got back from overseas?" Shirakami gasped.

"Looks like it… Huh? Look… Some kind of posting board…"

"Huh? "Reverse Internet Board"… Reverse Internet? I know there's a "Reverse Cyber World" but I'd never heard of a "Reverse Internet" to begin with… Let's look at the spot labeled "news"…"

"Looks like a newspaper…"

"What!"

"What!"

Both gasped when the board displayed a newspaper's front page with the header "5TH GRADER CHAMPION OF THE RED SUN TOURNAMENT DIVERTS ALIEN ASTEROID IN COLLISION COURSE WITH EARTH – THE INCREDIBLE ACHIEVEMENT OF HIKARI NETTO – KUN AND ROCK MAN EXE OF JAPAN'S AKIHARA CITY" and a photo of Netto wielding a trophy with the label "Winner of the International Ameroupe Red Sun Tournament – 1st Place Trophy" set on its base.

"What in the… What does this mean?" Shirakami uttered.

"Look! Another headline! "Z – Nation scientist, Dr. Regal, behind the "Dark Chip Syndicate Nebula" - Jumps off the top of the ANSA HQ Top in Ameroupe - Body not found - Presumed Dead"… By all the… What's going on here? It's almost like we'd landed in another world!" Forte cursed after reading.

"Another world…! That's it! We've ended in another world, an alternate world…! History was different here! VERY different…!"

"Whoa! So that means that there could be another me?" Forte realized with a gasp.

"Could be. We should figure out how things have happened here but one's thing clear: there's another Regal and "Nebula" was active until recently: and that "alien asteroid" must've been the "Cybernetic God"… We need to figure out what we'll do… For the time being we could keep a low profile and remain away from public's eyes as much as we can… This seems to be the "Reverse" of the main Internet, called the "Surface Internet", and criminals drift here…" Shirakami read some posts.

"W-whoa. My head's reeling."

"Calm down. Since we're stuck here forever from the looks of it then we gotta figure out how to merge with history here…"

"Sure… And maybe we can come up with some plan…"

13:02 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Okay! The only objective left is to find the leader."

"It can't be far."

"CF" Netto reached the entrance of a half-collapsed warehouse and inspected it with a look of suspicion.

"Hmmm… We've been at it for about four minutes. We can manage a decent rank. Let's go bust the dude." "CF" Netto muttered.

He rushed in and was confronted by a replica of Plant Man, who was standing in the middle of tropical garden.

"It's this jerk again… Battle Chip, Flame Tower!"

The attack burned Plant Man to a crisp.

"Ua~h!"

"Guess it's over-powered."

A bell rang somewhere nearby and the warehouse dissolved into data: "CF" Netto saw how the environment turned "cybernetic" again and he flew into the portal.

"Hah, hah! I fly~!"

"Oh come one. Cool it down."

He was standing in the midst of the VR Room a few second later and a holographic screen which showed their results had popped out.

LEVEL: 1

CLASS: A

1/20

TIME: 03: 58: 44

RANK: A

USERS: HIKARI NETTO, ROCK MAN EXE

HAVE A NICE DAY!

"Cool!" "CF" Netto whistled in admiration.

"Yeah! It's the best system I've ever seen." Saito agreed on it.

"Cross Out!"

Netto released the "Cross Fusion" and picked the Advanced PET II, which he pocketed.

"OK. Boss told me to bring you back to the surface: I'll invite you two for a ride… I'm a pretty good pilot…" Omega calmly told them.

"Lead the way, _Danna_."

"Hmpf. Alright. Follow me."

Netto followed him out of the VR Room and down the corridor until they reached an elevator which Omega recalled: it arrived at their floor and they stepped inside: he pressed a button with the "DOCKING BAYS" label underneath of the "1ST DECK" button.

"Down we go."

The elevator descended and both stepped out into a small hall where two armored doors were placed at the right and the left and were labeled "DOCKING BAY #5" and "DOCKING BAY #6" respectively.

"We'll pick #6 today."

The room in which they entered had a unique design: the floor was just a giant platform suspended by steel columns on the borders.

The real floor, two meters below them, contained a set of fans which were currently stopped.

The whole room was about five or six meters tall and eight or ten meters wide.

"There's our ride, you two."

"W-whoa!"

The object which got their attention was a small aerodynamic-looking shuttle painted silver which had a front Plexiglas view window and two short wings and tail but it didn't seem to have any visible means of propulsion: entrance was gained through an open hatch on the left side of the body.

"A real shuttle…!" Saito whistled.

The shuttle was currently resting on top of a mechanism set on the ground.

"There are the connecting doors."

Looking beyond it they spotted another armored door labeled "DOCKING BAY #7" set on the right side of the room.

"How many docking bays are there?" Netto asked Omega.

"We've got eight. The design is redundant."

"Do we climb into the shuttle?"

"Yeah. Go ahead and pick a seat."

Netto climbed in and walked into the cockpit, where several seats resembling those of normal commercial planes were set.

"Cool, man…"

Netto picked the one directly behind that of the pilot and looked through the view window: a large oval-shaped armored door was set on the south wall of the room, about two meters in front of them.

"OK. Let's seal the door." Omega dully muttered as he stepped in.

Omega came in and made sure to properly seal the entrance hatch of the shuttle before he sat down on the pilot's seat and buckled the seatbelt: Omega began to work with the console and various lights and switches engaged.

"Okay. I'm gonna pilot this into the outskirts of Akihara City. No - one will detect us since this thing is invisible to radar."

"… Yeah… Well… Whoa… Riding a spacecraft… It's gonna be the ultimate experience." Netto whistled in admiration.

"Yeah. I think the same thing, too."

"Don't worry: this craft's advanced engine will nullify all gravitational changes and keep the 1G gravity standard during the whole fifty-minute-long trip." Omega told them.

He pressed some buttons and typed some commands into a LCD screen built on the control console: the doors in the docking bay sealed with a force field and the air was sucked out by the fans to equalize it to the vacuum of space.

"A little something Boss recycled from _Star Wars_…"

"Hey! That's cool!"

"Sure!"

The hatch in front of them opened and the shuttle slowly moved forward: once it had left some safety distance between the hatch and space then the shuttle ignited its drive and entered the atmosphere.

"You'll soon get used to this, believe me." Omega told them while formed a slight smile.

They looked at one holographic screen showing the view from a camera built on the tail of the craft: the whole HQ was visible.

The gigantic spacecraft had a main dome-shaped body with a small dome-shaped body built atop the first: the first dome's base was rather thick and large: some hatches could be seen on the sides of the circle which obviously were the docking bays.

Some spires which looked like they were made of glass were set on the first dome's surface to be right above the docking bays: the spires had three rings built around them along with a glass sphere on top of them.

There also were some rectangular view windows set above the spaces between each docking bay.

"The main dome contains the Central Hub as well as the three decks. The circle piece holds the docking bays and the fusion core. The second dome is the command bridge. Those windows are observation windows. Those spires are energy projectors which create a stealth camouflage field around the ship to hide it." Omega explained.

"W-wow. How much time did Vadous – san spend building this behemoth?" Netto asked.

"Two years."

"It's no wonder!" Saito also sounded awed.

"The underside has some energy conduits which are use from time to time to vent off heat residue of the fusion core. It's about 500 meters wide and 150 tall…" Omega concluded.

"Incredible… It's the ultimate HQ…" Netto muttered.

"Yeah. It's gotta be." Saito agreed on it.

"Now relax and enjoy our trip: a Committee car will be waiting to pick you two up and take you home."

Netto nodded in agreement and calmly observed how the Earth grew in the view window and they headed for the island of Japan.

"Cool."

"Isn't it? This is what helps me shake off the bad moods I tend to build up and store inside of me… A bad habit, I know…"

"Sorry to bring it up, but what happened with that "Darkloid" named Cold Man? I heard some talk about some butchering?"

"Oh. That. The _chibi_ had the guts to call me "yaoi" so I got pissed off and began to unleash my power on the jerk: I then pulled out but it took me some days to vent off that bad mood… I got picky with everyone and when that happens I need to shut myself in a store-room and carry out some _yoga_ meditation… But sit back and look on."

"Yikes. W-well. Yeah. We'll look on."

14:05 PM (Japan Time)…

"… We've arrived."

"That was the coolest trip ever."

"I guess."

"I now want to do it again AND AGAIN!"

The shuttle silently landed on the outskirts of Akihara and they immediately spotted a red Volvo which was there to pick them up: Netto stepped out after Omega opened the hatch.

"See you two around. Maybe I'll show Guts Man my martial arts as well and hope that makes the guy harder to chew."

"Whoa. We'll be looking forward to it!"

"Drop by anytime!" Saito invited.

"Sure."

Omega closed the hatch, sat on the pilot's seat, and veered the craft to fly out towards the stars: it didn't seem to use any visible reaction-propulsion engine.

"Cool…"

"Yeah… Let's get home."

Netto headed towards the red Volvo where Agents Karasu and Mori were waiting.

"Welcome back, gentlemen."

"Thank you for picking us up." Netto thanked.

"Don't mind it, young man. It's our duty."

"Thank you." Saito thanked anyway.

"Next stop: Akihara City. Let's move it out, Mori."

"Sure, Mori. And then let's have some rounds of online _poker_."

14:37 PM (Japan Time)…

"… We've arrived."

"Thanks again!"

"Good-bye!"

"Later."

The car stopped in front of the Hikari house, so Netto climbed out and waved good-bye at the agents: he climbed up the steps and entered, stretching.

"We're home!"

"Welcome! You come just in time: the lunch is almost ready." Haruka told them with a smile.

"Whoa! Wait a min: I need to make niisan return to his body." Netto requested.

"There's no need to rush." Haruka told them.

Netto rushed upstairs and into the bedroom to connect Saito into his body: Saito stretched and yawned before he then sat up and suddenly hugged Netto: he returned the hug.

"Phew! I needed to feel the real you."

"Heh, heh, heh, heh! No wonder. Say! We could organize a party at Maha Ichiban's! Don't you think so, niisan?"

"I like the idea. Maha would like it." Saito smiled.

"Let's hope Dekao won't devour the whole restaurant." Netto added with a broad grin.

"And let's hope Yaito – chan doesn't try to buy it either." Saito joked next while hardly muffling his laughter.

"Oho. Well. That's to be seen, Saito – niisan!"

They blinked an eye to each other and giggled…


	35. Chapter 35: Ending

**Chapter 35: Ending**

10:28 AM (Japan Time), Thursday July the 26th…

"… In the end… It's taken Vadous – san _three whole days_ to recover! I guess he brought himself to the limit!"

"Yeah. He sure pushed himself to the limit…"

Netto and Saito were having a chat while standing on their house's balcony and looking out into the streets.

"Well! And we've gone up there again… That VR system can't stop amazing me! We're rediscovering ourselves!" Netto excitedly told him.

"Yep! Papa would run up the walls if he got a hold of it and would want to dissect it no matter what."

"Now we know that we can't possibly get bored during what's left of these vacations. And you'll be coming with me to the school starting on September! It'll be cool!"

"You mean that I will be coming as Hikari Saito. I've already come there as Rock Man EXE." Saito corrected.

"Ops! Yeah… I'd forgotten…" Netto scratched the back of his head.

"We can keep on being "Octopus – han", too."

"That's right! We'll unmask the bag guys and let the police take care of them!"

"Remember: we mustn't tell anyone else." Saito warned.

"That's for sure!" Netto simply replied.

"But it's a pity… In the end it'd seem some weird Time-Space phenomenon sucked those two into it and then closed: some complicated Particle Physics seem to have come into play there… In short: it's impossible to open it up again and it's impossible to know what became of those two: maybe they ended up in another world or planet for all we know."

"Yeah… They were but victims…"

"Sorry for butting in… Who were the victims?"

"Whoa! Zero! Where'd you go off to?"

"It's been a while!"

"Well. I've been sharpening in the VR Simulator too."

"Wow."

Zero came into the computer's screen and both leant into the desk while chatting with him.

"Well. Forte and Shirakami were… They were but victims of the freak's devices and plots… They surely didn't intend to become "evil" from the start but that freak had the two of them become forceful "heirs" to his madness…"

"Hum. I see… And they vanished through some weird phenomenon, they say?" Zero asked.

"They did. And we don't know if they'll ever find a way back here to begin with so…" Netto sighed.

"Speaking of the freak, we followed the trail of the "bunshin" and it led us not to the tanker but to the Aquarius Hotel… It'd seem the culprit had registered there under the name of "Dr. Smith" and using a fake brown beard plus blue contacts… The address, phone number, serial number and all were faked too… He always had his meals somewhere else: he stayed there for 5 days… And before that it'd seem they were at the Ritz and some other high-class hotels but they never seemed to use the high-class facilities… They were out the whole day and only came back on the evening…" Zero explained.

"Hum. So they wanted to say "I don't fall for the catch these hotels say 'cause I'm too smart for them"…?" Saito guessed.

"Sure. According to Dr. Lartes and Omega…"

"What about the tanker? It's still occupied?"

"No. We checked it out and found the remains of some broken machine."

"Some broken machine…?" Saito wondered.

"Yeah. It had a pyramidal base but the rest of it was blown up although some pieces did remain: it seemed to have some computers built into the sides and a central ring-shaped body… And it seemed to be copied from the machine which Vadous and the others use to generate their "portals" to begin with…" Zero detailed.

"So they used it to move around without the need of the "Dimensional Converters", huh…"

"We also checked those two guys' mansion and found that someone had written with purple oil-based spray paint the words "YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE QUALIFICATIONS" there… The freak maybe didn't get to know what happened to them and thought they'd be back so while they were out they were busy spraying the living room… I think Blood Shadow decided to cleanse it as a sign of respect..." He continued.

"I see…"

"Well. Enough sad stuff… Things seem to have cooled down: we told you about that "K. S." guy, right? They dunno where the guy is at but they think he'll tell us who he is sooner or later…"

"Yo! Sorry to butt in… You're Zero, right?"

"Ah. Thunder Man."

"Hey there! Netto!"

"Raoul! Been a while!"

Thunder Man walked in next and waved a hand at them as the holographic screen depicting Raoul opened: he grinned at them and Netto returned the grin.

"Did ya know? I beat the Disco 'Em All contest! I swept the floor with those guys trembling and dancing on it!"

"Disco 'Em All Contest?"

"Not that again…!"

"What's wrong, Thunder Man?" Zero asked.

"That's some dream he had but he's SO stubborn that he believes it's reality and that he's destined to become Masked Lightning Dancer of Heaven's Town!" He whispered.

"No way…" Netto looked skeptical.

"Please… We preferred him serious."

"Alright! It's time to shake the streets up!"

"Oi, Raoul! Ms. Smith will denounce you for making a scandal each evening, ya know!" Thunder Man told him.

"_Oh no_!" He gasped.

"The upstairs neighbor…?" Zero asked in a hushed tone.

"Right in the mark… Granny on her 70s… Very picky…! She keeps on saying Raoul should go to an Indian Reserve… But no – one minds her since all other neighbors know this is the 21st century… She seems to be right-winged but well… No trouble bothering you guys with politics: point is that she's the picky type who believes is in charge of everything and can make all neighbors do as she wants them to." Thunder Man whispered.

"Thought as much…"

"_Oh yeah_! Let's go~! Time to round up the Heaven Plaza Irregulars: they'll figure out what happened the other day when some strange puddles were witnessed in some alleys!" Raoul grinned.

"What!" Zero, Netto and Saito gasped.

"I know… But those freaks didn't come out… Guess the fucker was intending to scare the hell outta us…" Thunder Man admitted in a hushed tone of voice.

"Phew."

"_Oh yeah! Go! Masked Lightning Dancer!_"

"Raoul! Quit it already! Will ya? JEEZ! This guy!"

11:07 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Heh, heh, heh. So you completed another orbit?"

"Stop with the orbit joke."

"No, no… It's very logical indeed…"

"Don't play along, Shadow Man."

Miyabi ended up meeting Wily in the gardens and he looked up from the daily newspapers with his grin: Miyabi wasn't impressed but Shadow Man played along to Miyabi's increase frustration.

"Anyway, Dr. Wily… What became of that freak?"

"That Zero guy told me their whereabouts are unknown but they've been having some international tour in high-class hotels… His bills were paid online but they turned out to be accounts of high-class politicians who recklessly denounced their violation but it turned out it was illegal bribes' money to begin with…" Wily admitted.

"Hum. I see. Any names?"

"Dr. Smith… That's the name they used to drop by the Aquarius Hotel but they seem to come up with a different disguise each time to look older than they are… But ! If you did find a guy that never uses any of the luxurious hotel facilities and goes out… That'd be the culprit behind those freaks." Wily instructed.

"Good… Maybe I'll go hunting for them and I'll bring some tricks along to defend from those bothersome servants…"

"…summoned from Hell…" Shadow Man added.

"Oh come on. Be serious."

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… I'd say those former pawns of Dr. Wily will soon run into trouble with their own bad moods."

"I wouldn't be surprised. Heh, heh, heh."

"Huh? Someone's coming… Ah. Lezareno…"

"Heh. Another excellent hound orbiting around me… I seem to have a powerful gravity field!"

"Maybe so."

Lezareno came in too so Wily pulled a joke again but Lezareno greeted it with some dryness and without being surprised.

"Join the club." Miyabi sarcastically invited.

"I get the sarcasm."

"So! That freak is in Montecarlo?" Wily tried to guess.

"What? Ah no. We don't know yet but we've placed tags: if they try to use the same pattern then they'll be exposed but I don't think they're that stupid… They must've realized we've found out about them by now and they will be switching tactics…" Lezareno shrugged.

"Say! Did Mr. Wesker complain?"

"Not again with that… And what if I'm a lookalike of that Wesker man? It won't change that it is but a coincidence. There about two lookalikes to each person out there, they say…"

"Heh, heh, heh, heh… Alright… Let's use the insecticide to keep those freaks at bay, shall we? The Wily Insecticide…"

"Very clever, _Danna_. Patent it." Shadow Man invited.

"Heh, heh, heh… But of course… That's what I intend to do…"

"This guy…" Miyabi grumbled.

"Better this than what he did in the past, I guess…"

"If you have complains dispatch them Mr. Universe's inbox."

"Hah, hah. And now you think you're a good prankster?"

"Oh no… I happen to have Prankster Man's bits and bytes, Miyabi… Heh, heh, heh, heh… They influence me… Heh, heh, heh…"

"Heh, heh, heh… As one tale ends another begins, they used to say!"

11:19 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Yo~! Meiru – chan!"

"Dekao – kun. I hope it's important."

"Do you want takeaway curry?"

"No. Bring me a lobster."

"What's a lobster?"

"Never mind it. So?"

"So… What?"

"What do you want?"

"Oh yeah! Now I remember…"

Dekao had called Meiru and she looked slightly annoyed at being interrupted from practicing her piano lessons: Dekao looked amused but then Meiru tested him so he frowned.

"Why don't we go the theaters and see some movie?" He asked.

"I'll pass. I prefer to work on my piano lessons." She shrugged.

"What? That's boring!"

"For you. Not for me. They're a challenge. I like challenges. Now go listen how Chisao – kun teaches you what "multiply" means."

"Chu! Niichan! Multiply! 4 per 9!" Chisao's voice rang out.

"Huh! I never manage to remember those stupid lists…"

"Not my problem, Dekao – kun. Later."

"O-oi! Meiru – cha~n!" He gasped.

"Jeez. Go protect Aki – chan from Nobody Man." Roll told Guts Man.

"Guts, guts! Guts Man will protect Aki – chan!"

"So! King Kong's grandson wanted to do it, huh?"

"Yes, Meiru – chan. But I shook them off."

"Dekao – kun will be in Trouble with Capital T unless he remembers the multiplying tables by the time 6th grade begins in about 2 months from now…" Meiru rolled her eyes.

"Sure will…"

"Desu! Roll – san! Desu… Tooru – kun asks if it's true that he will be 6th grade champion, desu…" Ice Man came in.

"No. It's a lie. It's boasting." Roll corrected.

"I thought as much." Hikawa muttered.

"Who wouldn't?"

"Hah! That guy said he wanted one of my grass-mowers and I told him to invent the Anti Mean Guy Sword!" Yaito joined the chat.

"Yaito – sama… That was strange…" Glyde sighed.

"Don't worry, Alfred! I've got everything under control!"

"My name is Glyde, Yaito – sama, not "Alfred"…" He sighed again.

"Anti Mean Guy Sword… That sounds so improbable, really…" Hikawa and Meiru muttered in a skeptical tone of voice.

"Sure does…" Roll rolled her eyes.

"Sounds strange, desu…"

"Pyrururu! Ice Man! Let's go play! Pyu!" Aqua Man ran in.

"Be careful, Aqua Man!" Shuuko called out.

"De masu! And bring along the fliers too! De masu!"

"No, Yamitarou, you won't have them be the means to spread adverts of Higureya! Try using some poster!" Number Man protested.

"Well! Looks like we've got a merry summer ahead of us! Tee, heh!"

"Sure! A merry summer…!"

11:32 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Mwah, hah, hah… Confess, ugly~…"

"Yikes."

"Where are the donuts?"

"HUH?"

"I mean… The stolen goods…? Do we need to bring in Hypnosis Man to hypnotize ya~ and have ya~ spit it out?"

"N-no! T-they're on the warehouse, the Local Feint Club warehouse, ya know…! The whole stuff is there, ya know!"

"Good. Now flee~ before I place a CURSE~ on ya~…"

"Uwa~h!"

"Come on, Sigma… That was weird."

"Did ya talk 'bout the great me~? Bloody~ Shadowy~? My ears are burning with excitement and thrill, ya see~! Mwah, hah, hah."

"Not this again… If Commander Omega sees you then he's gonna get annoyed for real and you know it, Sigma."

Sigma had cornered a Navi and loomed over them to question them: they then fled like they were gonna be beaten up to a pulp and Blood Shadow sighed: Sigma began to joke.

"Sigma…!" Dr. Lartes grumbled over the radio.

"Yikes. Dr. Lartes…!"

"Don't force me to fetch Boss: he's calm enough and reading some novel or another… Or do you want me to interrupt Omega's VR Training to send him there to check on you? Huh?"

"N-no need to…" He gulped.

"Then stop pestering Blood Shadow already! You did the same yesterday or so Kir Osh told me. And both _ninja_ guys heard you too."

"But Dragon didn't, right?"

"Dragon! Don't mix Dragon in. He's in Confucius' World again: someone should try making him descend back to Earth."

"So! Kir Osh went to tweak some Army Jeeps?"

"What in the… Just because he's a good car mechanic that doesn't mean he's got to tweak Army Jeeps! The Black Hole PMC has their own mechanics to tweak their own choppers and planes and Jeeps! Now go find out if the stuff is still there! On the double!"

"Roger…"

"See? Whenever you get like that trouble knocks at the door… Speaking of trouble, it'd seem the Maha Ichiban's Navis are having some trouble given how they're there, discussing…" Blood Shadow spotted.

"…and Hinoken – sama now's trying to play pro wrestler saying he must "prove my usefulness to Wily – sama", saying he left back in June because he didn't see us ready…" Fire Man sighed.

"Count Elec now says he's got to become a powerful rock star to bring us glory and fame… How stupid." Elec Man grumbled.

"Madoi~ says she gotta cleanse each inch of dust… She's gotten some weird moods lately~…" Colored Man looked defeated.

"Maha Jarama – sama now gets obsessed with making the dishes look neat and have "customer appeal"…" Magic Man added.

"Are those the "WWW" Net Navis?"

"Oho. Soldier – sama~ came~ through the side-alley~!"

"Jeez. You mean to say Search Man came."

"Well, "Soldier –sama" isn't bad for me."

"Laika – sama, sir… Please don't play along, sir."

"Don't worry, Search Man. I'm in charge… of the situation, the scene, the time, the motto and the make-up appeal."

Search Man walked over to them and rolled his eyes when Laika got into one of his good moods: Sigma grinned and Blood Shadow sighed too while Laika began to say weird stuff.

"So those are the famed "WWW" Navis…" Prism Man also joined him while glancing at the group.

"They look exasperated, though." Misaki commented.

"It'd seem their Operators have gotten into weird moods ever since Wily showed up on their place a month ago…" Blood Shadow admitted.

"And now they believe Wily left because they weren't "serious" enough about being ready to bring back the "WWW"…" Sigma added in a hushed conspiracy tone.

"Heh, heh. Amusing, by Ivan."

"Laika – sama, sir…"

"Don't mind me, Search Man. I feel like the freak's gone to the end of the world and will take a while to show up again… That mail helped too: coming from that man named "K. S."… He said he'd gotten a hold of the freak's movements and that he was going to gather data on him but it could take some time, even a year."

"Hum. Then he's gotta be serious." Misaki muttered.

"What's the mood on the Net Police HQ?" Blood Shadow asked.

"Well. Commissioner Kifune seems to be his usual self and so does Superintendent Manabe… Meijin keeps on drinking a lot of coffee and organizing missions for other "Net Saviors" too…"

"Oh well. That's nice to hear."

"It's nice~ to hear that Mr. No One will beat us…"

"SIGMA! Stop with the stupid jokes already and do us a favor!"

"Ops. Well. Guess we'll have to be on our way~… See ya~…"

"Sigma… When will you behave like a tough guy…?"

11:55 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Alright, Shirakami… Let's go over the plan once more before we approach the guy…"

"Sure. And let's prepare the cloaks…"

Forte and Shirakami were going over some notes while in some real world room somewhere set atop a table: the light only allowed one to see the table and them leaning on its edges.

"It's not like we want to return to being full-time "bad guys"… We'll just _pretend_ to… But once we approach the guy with this plan he'll love it and won't be able to complain…" Shirakami shrugged.

"Sure… And those new guys he's hired look cool… I find it ironic that Shade Man here is but a servant… And lower in rank than the already-gone Laser Man… Heh, heh, heh! Heh, heh, heh… Ain't it ironic?"

"But of course. And remember what we agreed upon: we won't sexually interact with them. We'll keep our distance and always be somewhere out of their reach but not too far either…"

"OK, _aibou_. Don't worry about that. And let's prepare some mood and jokes too which will brighten the atmosphere."

"As long as they're not as silly as Sigma's…"

"Oho! Oho! Oho! Oh come on! Don't worry~… Shi - chan! I've got everything under control over here thanks to my Super Mega Special Control Ability~! Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…"

"Didn't we say we'd stop with those silly nicknames? We're gonna be the "Demon Prince" and the "Demon King"… And we'll have command over some of those grunts too… Once the business goes kaput then we flee to that area we found out about and challenge them to come there: if they can overcome the whole of the challenges… Then they'll be able to know who we really are… It'll be a _shocking_ moment… I can picture it already even… We're a pair of geniuses to begin with!"

"Sure will, Mr. Shocking Moments."

"Not another nickname…"

"Nickname Man dropped by…"

"Whatever! Let's get ready to approach the guy: March is upon us already and we gotta have prepared everything because he's planning to make a move by mid-month!" Shirakami slammed the table with his right fist to call for attention.

"Whoa, Shira – chan! Don't get annoyed!"

"This guy… And they say he's a genius…"

"Shiraka – chan is skeptical today~?"

"I'm about to explode~…!" He hissed.

"Shirakami - chan wants to patent Exploding Man!"

"Enough! Let's start the last preparations: we gotta have contacted that guy in less than 48 hours… STARTING RIGHT NOW!"

"OK! I'll go to the tailor's and get my villain cloak."

"This guy…! He won't learn to be serious or WHAT?"

"Ya see, Shirakami~… Ya look scary~ with that face~…"

"Who cares? They won't be seeing our faces to begin with."

"OK, OK. Let's go vote Donkey Kong For President."

"Go yourself! Or let's do that once we've approach the guy and expose our strategy: he'll be taken in without mistake!"

"Sure! Strategy: Dark Side is about to begin…"

"That's it! About time you got serious… The upcoming days will be action-packed… It'll be fun to see how the "allies of justice" tackle them! But we won't reveal our true origin: we've rewritten them."

"Our victory will be complete and total! We're so smart!"

"Heh… Heh, heh… Heh, heh, heh… Hah, hah, hah! Hah, hah, hah!"

12:12 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Okay. It'd seem the model we showed off at the conference has drawn a lot of support from the public compared to the others. Tell the design department to begin brainstorming on how to make it be real."

"Roger, Enzan – sama."

Blues departed the Advanced PET II and Enzan had a bite of a lettuce and tomato sandwich he'd bought in a nearby convenience store along with a sip of pineapple juice.

_Well! According to Laika it'd seem we'll have a break… I hope nothing happens during August… _

Blues returned into the Advanced PET II.

"They have received the message, Enzan – sama. Incidentally… Laika sent a new message." Blues reported.

"What does it say?" Enzan asked.

"… "Shatter the ice." … That's all." Blues read.

"Huh? Shatter the ice? That's weird. Or does it have a hidden meaning, too? Hmmm… Oh. He must mean that I ought to stop trying to put up my "serious" face while interacting with him or the others…" Enzan thought about it and then realized the meaning.

"It would seem to be case… Wait. You have a call from Mr. Vadous, Enzan - sama." Blues admitted before reporting an incoming call.

"Patch it trough."

"Roger."

"Hello, Enzan – kun." Vadous greeted.

"Good morning, Mr. Vadous." Enzan greeted back.

"I'll get to the point… Those "escapades" you've been bringing up as of late are because they come to my HQ and use the VR Simulator to train and gain new experiences… There's nothing odd in them."

"Oh. So that's why they're being so secretive with it… I understand. I will not investigate further on the matter." Enzan told him.

"Oh! By the way… If you have a diet of sandwiches and juices beware of Lartes. He's found out that it's not balanced enough." Vadous told him in a hushed tone.

"… Mr. Vadous… Eh… No offense, but… You wouldn't happen to really have some of my genes, right?" Enzan looked baffled.

"You're not offending me, Enzan – kun… No. The only problem is that both of us have great responsibilities and tend to priorize work over the rest of the stuff. I'm sure the same thing must happen to other persons out there."

"Ah… Then… I will try to balance my diet…"

"It is but a suggestion, Enzan – kun. You're free to make your own choices."

"Thank you for the piece of advice, Mr. Vadous."

"I do think we will get along quite well, Enzan – kun. And I think Lartes is going to run up the walls." Vadous kept on looking amused.

"It… might be the case." Enzan improvised.

"Heh, heh, heh. It'll be amusing to see."

"Huh… Then… I may take it into consideration, sir…"

"That's fine. I gotta win Kir Osh in our pending chess match. See you around, Enzan – kun." Vadous smiled at him.

"Goodybe…" Enzan didn't stop looking baffled.

"No good." Blues muttered.

_Enzan – sama will now get obsessed with diets and all… I wish "eating" was a way simpler thing… Man. Enzan – sama and his weird habits: he always runs into trouble with those!_

"What should I pick next…? Dunno… Man. I'm stuck."

14:38 PM (Japan Time)…

"… I'm home!"

"Oh! Papa!"

"Welcome back!"

"Yuuichirou – san: you came."

Yuuichirou stepped into the house and everyone greeted him: he smiled and sat down on the sofa.

"Well! The "Vaccine Chip" now is 100% effective against any "Nebula Dark Chip"… All infected Navis are being healed and we hope to have healed all of the ones in quarantine by the end of the summer… The antibodies ensure that they can't be affected by the same type of "Dark Chip" twice either…" He let out.

"Whoa! That's cool!" Netto whistled.

"It's not "cool", Netto – kun! It's good! We finally found a cure for those poor Navis who have fallen victims to those things!" Saito corrected with a smile.

"Heh, heh, heh. My meals will help Yuuichirou – san gain back those kilos he's lost ever since last time." Haruka giggled.

"Sure… I miss some home-made food…"

"And by the way, Netto – kun… I won't be your personal alarm clock so make sure to learn how to wake up in time."

"Yeah, I know. It's about time I began to be more mature."

"Good. Now let's have lunch!"

"Hum. Haruka's home-made beef stew… I missed it!"

"Tee, heh, heh, heh! Well then! All's good if it ends well!"

The group of four laughed in a jovial manner and smiled…

**THE END**


End file.
